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Media Credit: Derrick Roffman DMACC students and faculty witnessed the season's first snow fall on December 3, from the windows of the L.W. Courter Center.

"This is a DMACC Alert." Now that we have experienced our first snowfall of the season and probably have more to come over Christmas break, students should be more aware of potential late-starts, class cancellations, and college closing information.

Rave Wireless provides students and faculty the DMACC Alert Emergency Notification System to efficiently send out alerts for potentially dangerous situations, as well as school closing notifications. The alerts work through the InformaCast system, which allows them to be sent through DMACC's speaker system and phone lines.

To have the alerts sent in text message, voice mail or e-mail form, log in to www.getrave.com/ login/dmacc. E-mail addresses and phone numbers already in the DMACC system have automatically been put in the RAVE system, but those wishing to add additional contact information, like another phone number or e-mail, should log in to their account.

To reset a password, other than the computer generated one DMACC and RAVE provide, select the "Forgot username or password" icon below the login icon on the site and follow the directions.

Ever-changing Iowa weather also means vehicle maintenance is a must, especially in inclement weather. "Ninety percent of car maintenance is standard routine,but when it gets cold, antifreeze needs to be mixed right so the coolant doesn't freeze," said Scott Chamberlain, a part-time mechanic in the Stratford area.

Slippery roads mean tiretread and pressure should be checked, along with brakes. It may be a good idea to replace windshield wipers, and emergency kits should outfit any vehicle navigating in questionable weather.

Letting vehicles warm up prior to driving them is not only for defrosting the windows. "When the engine is cold, pistons and rings are tight and the oil is really thick. Warming up the engine allows the metals to expand and oil to circulate," said Chamberlain.

There are other resources for checking class cancellations, besides the DMACC Alert System. Each campus location has its own Web site that can be located on the bottom of the DMACC home page. For example, on the Boone Campus's site, the second icon from the top titled "Cancelled Classes" is updated daily.

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