Flood Displaces Students

Kelsey Tegtmeier
Staff Writer
Page 1, Feb. 26, 2004

Forty-three students were evacuated from their rooms in Frees Hall around midnight Sunday because of flooding.
Around 11 p.m. Brian Joe heard people outside of his third floor room as he was getting ready to go to sleep. His attempt at a night’s rest was interrupted almost 45 minutes later.
“I heard a big pop and then I opened my door to a running stream of water,” Joe said.
Sadie Kliewer, third floor RA, said there was a broken sprinkler head, which caused the rush of water outside of Joe’s room. Residents from other floors were interrupted by the sound of the fire alarm.
“I didn’t think it was anything serious,” said freshman Ronnie Patron who was folding his laundry when the alarm went off.
Patron’s clothes were left unfolded because the residents of Frees Hall were evacuated and Crete’s first response team arrived on the scene.
Frees residents waited outside while the hall was checked for signs of fire and the water was turned off. Students mingled and tried to stay warm while they waited to be let back into their rooms.
“It was pretty hectic,” said freshman Mitch Vernon, third floor resident.
Freshman Bobby Thompson and other students walked across the parking lot to Sheldon Hall to get out of the cold.
Students were allowed into the building about 45 minutes later, when Residence Life staff explained the situation and placed students in different rooms for the night.
“I tried to remain positive and show other people that we can get through this together,” said second floor RA Dustin Bender.
Male residents on third floor were placed in rooms on second floor, while the females of second floor were moved to third floor. A similar switch was made for the residents of first floor and the basement so that students slept on the dry south side of the building.
Many students spent the night on couches, futons or even the floors of other rooms. Students were allowed to stay with other friends on campus or family members living in Crete.
“I think they (Residence Life) did the best they could,” said freshman Kate Gehrig, second floor resident.
The RAs recorded where their floor members spent the night so that everyone was accounted for, Bender said.
After a night of minimal sleep, Frees Hall residents tried to make Monday a normal day, at least as normal as possible.
“If staying here, come and go as needed,” read one whiteboard hanging on the door of a second floor room on Monday.
Many students missed class or were unable to turn in or complete their homework because of the flooding. Clean clothes, papers, books, toothbrushes and other necessities were left in their rooms while they took refuge in a south side room.
Residents could only enter their rooms with an RA and were only allowed to remove essential items, said Bender.
The fire marshal advised Residence Life staff to keep people out of the flooded area for safety reasons, said Russ Hewitt, Director of Residence Life.
When Joe returned to his room on Monday he found a pile of wet clothes on the closet floor, a ruined cell phone and an odor.
Joe and other second and third floor residents spent Monday afternoon moving their belongings out of their rooms.
Rooms 200-211 and 300-311 were evacuated so that the rooms could be professionally cleaned and damage repaired.
“At first I was dreading the inconvenience, but was able to keep my sanity because of all the help provided,” Bridget Kimball, sophomore, said.
Of the 43 students evacuated, 24 accepted their new living assignments from Residence Life, while the remainder worked out their own arrangements, said Hewitt.
Trucks full of boxes and furniture lined Frees parking lot while students and parents removed final belongs Monday night.
Pizza and soda greeted the busy students at the hall meeting in Frees lounge.
Hugs and thank yous filled the lounge as students waited for the meeting to start.
To start the meeting Kim Heier, Dean of Students, and Ethan Rowley, Frees Hall Resident Director, thanked the students, hall council, residence life staff and Pappy Khouri for their help with the situation.
The Residence Life staff hopes to have students back into their rooms by the end of Spring Break, at the latest, said Hewitt.
“I think the students have really shown a lot of tenacity, even though it has been an upsetting process for some of them,” said Heier. “I’m proud of them (the students) and the Doane community for really coming together and helping out.”