A record cold streak caused rolling blackouts in surrounding cities last week, forcing the Kearney area to conserve energy as a preventative measure. The advice from Nebraska Public Power District (NPPD) enabled the community to avoid blackouts, though area towns were not so fortunate.

Despite Nebraska’s relative familiarity with sub-zero temperatures, the double-digit negatives and near 40-below wind chills we saw on campus this week seem to have taken the administration off guard. Even as UNL canceled class for Monday and Tuesday early on Sunday, UNK’s cold feet kept students in a state of anxiety as they were forced to plan for travelling to in-person classes.