By Amanda Alfanos, Editor-in-Chief
A TRC worker cleans up a room affected by a burst emergency sprinkler system Wednesday in Oklahoma United Methodist Hall. Photo: Marianne Pickens/ The Campus
Oklahoma United Methodist Hall residents were made aware this afternoon of statuses of their rooms. They were advised via phone call from John Riggs, dean of students, and housing officials to move out of the facility for the time being.
Three rooms will be made accessible tonight, while residents of 21 rooms will be required to move elsewhere, said Rick Hall, vice president for student affairs. Those students will be able to move into their dorm anywhere from five to 25 days, he said. The maximum number of days equipment will be in the dorms is five days, Hall said.
An additional assessment of the residence hall will be performed on Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Hall said. Move-in dates for students will further be determined at this time, he said.
Students should contact Riggs to schedule a personal meeting to discuss property damages, Hall said. Students will be reimbursed for any damages on a case-by-case basis, he said.
Eighty-four students and 24 dorm rooms suffered damage, Riggs said.
Faculty members were advised to assist students in an e-mail from Riggs.
“While the first week of class can be an anxious time for students, those affected by last night’s events may be particularly stressed,” he said in the e-mail. “Some students lost computers or newly purchased textbooks, along with other personal items.
“We hope that you will be especially understanding in light of these events and let us know if we can help in any way.”
The emergency sprinkler system located in the attic of the building froze and burst, Riggs said. The system is capable of dumping 30,000 gallons of water in two to three minutes, Riggs said.
O’Shaka Robinson, political science freshman, was shocked by the flood.
“It was like the scene from Titanic,” he said.
To contact Riggs, call 405-208-7079.
Keep checking back for more updates from The Campus. For more information, view the Jan. 11 article.
Leave a Reply