A gasket in the basement of Tyson Hall burst on Friday Oct. 5 at 11:00 a.m.Residents, students and faculty evacuated the building and preceded to gather on the sidewalk of Sharpless Street after the fire alarm sounded. Resident Assistants (RAs) monitored residents and said that they were not allowed to go onto the grass area near the building. Those who also proceeded to go onto the upper parking lot were also told to relocate. Residents were divided according to floors; classes were situated at the end of the line.
According to one Resident Assistant of Tyson Hall, RAs knew that it was not a scheduled drill because the Resident Director, Ronika Money, made an announcement that all occupants were to evacuate.
Some residents were unaware of the situation when approaching the building from previous destinations, but then proceeded to find their floor after being informed by an RA.
Residents and students were informed of the situation at 11:30 a.m. when RAs announced they would be allowed back in the building around 11:40 a.m. At 11:35 a.m., residents, students and faculty were permitted back into the building.
The RAs were unable to provide any more information regarding the incident.
The maintenance report last updated July 13, 2007 found on the Tyson Hall Web site says that the building is in “poor condition and is in need of extensive renovation.”
Nicole Fortuna is a second-year Honors College student majoring in English with a minor in linguistics. She can be reached at NF626790@wcupa.edu.