Students grumbled and groaned about trekking to classes through bone-chilling weather Thursday as wind chills reached negative double digits.

But can it be possible to cancel classes because of intense cold?

“Yes it is cold, there’s no question about that,” interim President Lou Hencken said. “But the university has had a history not to cancel classes.”

Blair Lord, vice president of academic affairs, said inclement weather would have to become extreme for classes to halt.

“Could it ever be so cold that we cancel class?” Lord said. “Perhaps, but I think the weather would have to be arctic or lethal.”

A quick glance Thursday at student outdoor wardrobe, however, may cause one to debate whether or not the weather is indeed “arctic.”

Many students wore stocking caps, heavy gloves and scarves around their necks, in addition to their winter coats, as they braved the cold walking to class.

The 24-hour low Thursday was minus 5 degrees, with a windchill of minus 19 degrees.

“The temperature could be 2 degrees, minus five, 10 or 15, and we’d probably still have class,” Hencken said. “I don’t want to sound insensitive, but people pay a lot of money for their education.”

Lord agreed with Hencken’s stance and solidifed the argument of attending class.

“Generally, there’s a perception that we hold class if it is at all possible,” he said. “The high schools around us mainly cancel school because of a lack of transportation, but that’s not the case here.”

Mark Hudson, director of housing and dining, said things could be even worse than they are right now.

“It actually feels pretty casual to me right now,” said Hudson, formerly employed at the University of North Dakota. “The average temperature in January there is 2 degrees.”

Lord said another problem would be what 11,000 students would do with a “free day.”

“We have such a large residential population, and, either way, they have to do something during the day,” he said. “We’d rather they go to school instead of something else.”

Hencken said the last time Eastern cancelled class was 10 or 11 years ago because of an ice storm, causing many university buildings to lose electricty.

As hard a stance Hencken and Lord take on not cancelling class for subzero temperature, their personal views are softened by the thoughts of warmer weather.

“I come from Rhode Island, and they have the same temperate zone,” Lord said. “I don’t like the cold weather there, and I don’t like it here.”

Hencken jokingly made a pact because of the week’s harsh cold.

“I am never going to complain how hot it is ever again,” he said.