So, you want to chase with VUSIT? Unfortunately, the only persons permitted to chase with the team are meteorology students and meteorology faculty of Valparaiso University. This is so for many reasons. First and foremost, chasing is quite popular with the meteorology students at VU. Because of this, spots on chases are limited. Allowing persons to chase who are not affiliated with the university or meteorology program denies students the opportunity to learn, which is the number one reason we storm chase. In addition, not everyone is experienced, or has enough knowledge about meteorology to chase. Chasing is no joke. You can get yourself into some dangerous situations if you do not have the knowledge to understand the weather. Finally, if we allowed persons not affiliated with the meteorology program to chase, we would ultimately be liable for anything that happened to these persons during the chase.
We do not want to discourage you from becoming involved in other things though. Many communities have their own
Skywarn programs, designed to alert the public to approaching severe weather. While you're not chasing, you are helping your community and saving lives. Contact your local fire or police departments if you'd like to find out how to become involved with
Skywarn. In addition, there are various books and videos on the market that can help you become more educated on severe weather.
We wish you luck in whatever you may do,
The Valparaiso University Storm Intercept Team
