Should School be Cancelled on Rainy Days? Claire Cotton, Jazzmine Little, Robert Melville, Jackson Thomas

Hsiang et al. (2013) found a link between human aggression and higher temperatures. As temperatures rose, the researchers noted that intergroup conflicts also tended to jump — by 14 percent (a significant increase). The scientists also found interpersonal violence rose by 4 percent.

These findings held true not only for higher temperatures, but also that wet stuff that falls from the sky — rain. The more it rained (especially in areas where high rainfall is not expected), the more aggressive people seemed to get. (https://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/29/can-weather-affect-your-mood/)

This increase in aggression can lead to less cohesion among peers, especially in regards to group projects, and even outside of this aggression and annoyance can lead to distraction from the task at hand.

Cloudy weather tends to make people tired because of poor lighting. When it is dark and raining outside, it gives us the appearance of nighttime and that the end of the day is near, which tricks our brain into thinking that it is time to go to bed and makes us tired. (https://www.business.com/articles/how-the-weather-affects-your-productivity/)

Blue and grey are very cool colors that tend to evoke calmness, but also depression and other negative emotions. The colors of rain are simply those of passivity; blue and grey have an almost slow quality that makes us desire nothing short of a warm pillow and blanket. Do we really want to go to school surrounded by an atmosphere that will make us depressed?

Rain causes pain to individuals bodies. When it rains there is a reduction in atmospheric pressure. This causes fluids to move from blood vessels to tissues. You now feel pressure on your nerves and joints. This pressure leads to increased pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. With the conditions already sub par walking to class, this makes walking to class even more dangerous.

Hearing rain can be relaxing, which can cause tiredness. If a student is tired during the day, they will not be as productive in the classroom and with their school work. Retention of information is also likely to be adversely affected, as students are spending more time looking out the window, thinking about when their next hit of sleep, and less time meaningfully engaging with the material. When students are lethargic, there chances of learning are slim to none.

The deafening thunder and intense lightning of thunderstorms can cause some students to have difficulty concentrating. This can divert students attention towards what is going on outside and cause one to lose focus. This will decrease the ability of students to learn, at which point we start asking what the purpose of school during rain really is.

According to an analysis from the Federal Highway Administration, 46% of all car accidents over the past 10 years were due to rain and 73% were caused by wet pavement. This increase could be attributed to the increase obstruction of ones vision when driving in the rain. (https://ops.fhwa.dot.gov/weather/q1_roadimpact.htm)

Students tend to walk out into crosswalks quickly when trying to get to class, causing cars to stop abruptly. This can result in skidding or hydroplaning, which puts pedestrians at risk. Students who walk along side main roads on their way to class are put in serious danger. All it takes is a single accident to permanently ruin someones life.

People also tend to rush in the rain to avoid getting wet. With this number of students partaking in rain-running, there is the serious potential that someone could be injured as a result of wet surfaces. Students are then left feeling as though they are between a rock and a hard place; either they can go slowly, get wet, and be potentially late for class, or they can attempt to run and risk injury.

In thunderstorms, the National Weather Service advises that you take cover immediately. When thunder is heard, lightening strikes usually within 10 miles of rain.

Not only do the students want to stay dry, so do their professors. It's not worth a professors time and effort to leave their homes, drive to campus, park their car and walk to the lecture hall to show up to a room full of chirping crickets.

Rain also increases humidity. This, in turn, raises the volume... of everything. Eventually, a feedback loop occurs where some people, in order to hear each other, will increase their volume further, raising the need for others to do the same. This is annoying at best, but to some people with particular auditory sensitivity, the increase in everyones volume can seriously impede their ability to function.

When it rains, getting to class can become a chore. There always seems to be a mishap when it rains. For instance, an umbrella can be like a safety net when it rains. It is intended to stay strong in one’s time of need, but as soon as a gust of wind blows by, the umbrella decides that it wants to turn inside out. At which point all anyone can do is curse the weather. No matter how students get to class on a rainy day, they will get wet; this is inevitable, regardless of mode of transportation. Infrastructure tends to become waterlogged, which can lead to less than ideal situations for pedestrians who are simply trying to get to class.

According to metromile, rain boots shouldn't be worn while driving. Drivers should have on shoes that allow their feet to move freely just incase they need to press on the pedals quickly. Since the soles of the shoes are slippery from the rain, they can easily slip off the break or the gas pedal and get caught under the pedals. (https://www.metromile.com/blog/april-showers/)

Grumpy cat isn't pleased...

Report Abuse

If you feel that this video content violates the Adobe Terms of Use, you may report this content by filling out this quick form.

To report a Copyright Violation, please follow Section 17 in the Terms of Use.