While most were taking advantage of a closed campus and sleeping in, the day was just beginning for Physical Plant employees. Even though snow was falling and classes were canceled, one plant employee said his day began an hour earlier than usual.

Danny Meyer, the supervising groundskeeper for the east side of campus, said he decided to get up at 3 a.m. when the evening news said snow was in the forecast.

“I got up an hour earlier (to get here),” Meyer said. “I live about 100 miles from here, and that makes a difference.”

By 11 a.m., Meyer said his crew had already shoveled the library steps and walkway three times.

“When the school shuts down, normally the professor…won’t be here, but the students are here seven days a week,” Meyer said. “We have to protect them and keep them as safe as we can. We have to be here.”

Ardena Gonzalez, a sophomore pre-business and fashion merchandising major, was working at the Brown-Lupton University Union’s information desk Thursday and said the day had been busier than she expected.

“I think given that the Market Square is open, people have to come eat,” she said. “There’s definitely students around, but staff-wise, some of the housekeeping…hasn’t been able to get here.”

For the most part, employees hadn’t been calling to take off work, Gonzalez said.

While campus employees were making sure the university was up and running, some students were busy making snowmen.

Sophomore biology major Britni Williams and her friends were taking pictures next to Frog Fountain and said they were enjoying the snow day.

“It’s pretty awesome, especially since I have to miss (organic chemistry) lab today,” Williams said. “(The lab) lasts about four hours, so that’s four hours of my day I can be playing.”

Williams said she thought it was crazy that the Physical Plant workers had to be on campus so early but praised them for their hard work.

Kandace Green, a sophomore graphic design major, said she would use the snow day to catch up on some work and study for some upcoming tests.

Gonzalez said campus tours had been canceled. The BLUU was scheduled to close at 10 p.m. instead of 3 a.m., she said.