By Amanda Alfanos, Editor-in-Chief
Water drains into a Smith Hall Dormitory toilet Tuesday. The deluge was caused by a chilled water line, Glen Kierstead, facilities employee, said. Photo: Marianne Pickens/ The Campus
When Dat Phan returned to his room Tuesday evening, he was frightened. He said his feet waded in about two inches of water as he transferred his belongings as a precaution.
“I heard about the flooding earlier this week in other dorms, but I didn’t think it would happen to me,” the computer science freshman said.
Phan’s room in Smith Residence Hall was one of eight rooms of the building’s northeast corner affected by a flood.
The flood occurred at about 4:30 p.m. as a result of a chilled water line, Glen Kierstead, facilities employee, said.
“Facilities really knew how to respond to the situation, because of other recent flooding on campus,” he said.
Cokesbury Court Apartments was affected by an outside frozen fire line which burst last week and the administration building also flooded, Kierstead said. No rooms were damaged as a result of the Cokesbury flooding, he said.
Eighty-four students suffered damage last week in Oklahoma United Methodist Hall, according to John Riggs, dean of students.
“Evaluations of room readiness will be made daily and students will be invited to return to their rooms as the restoration is completed,” Riggs said in a campuswide e-mail. “Maximum time to completion will be 21 days from January 17.”
Donald Carter, economics/finance senior, also was affected by the Smith flood.
Carter said he was told he could move back from his temporary room in Oklahoma United Methodist Hall in about three days.
“My roommate and I were assigned to a single,” he said. “I’m about ready to get back to my dorm.”
Is Banning the next to go?