Eighty-seven students from Mount Aloysius College in Cresson temporarily relocated to SFU from Jan. 25-28 following a campus-wide evacuation at Mount Aloysius that was prompted by a gas leak.
SFU’s assistance followed the stipulations of a pre-existing memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two institutions.
The gas leak was first detected in a Mount Aloysius residence hall on Jan. 24. By the next morning, repairs had been made to the leak and pressure testing was conducted to ensure safety. Mount Aloysius students departed Saint Francis and returned to their campus on Jan. 28.
The cause of the gas leak remains under investigation.
“On Wednesday evening around 5:30 p.m., the Vice President from Mount Aloysius called me and explained that they had a gas leak,” said Don Miles, SFU’s Director of Residence Life.
“They were having trouble locating the leak, so they had to shut down gas to the campus which left them without hot water or heat.”
Miles said that Mount Aloysius and SFU established an MOU 16 years ago to facilitate emergency service sharing. The MOU stipulates that the two schools will help each other without financial gain during a crisis.
The gas leak marked the first occasion that the MOU was utilized.
“One of the RAs reported that some residents were telling her that there was a weird smell (in their hall), and they were starting to feel lightheaded and sick,” said Mount Aloysius student Al Lee.
“The school shut off one of the residence halls and the gas was still leaking, so they eventually shut off the entire campus except for one of our athletic buildings.”
Lee said Mount Aloysius officials told those who lived less than four hours away to go home. In-season student-athletes and international students who couldn’t travel home took up residence in either SFU’s residence halls or an Altoona hotel.
“Our school told us that we are here for anywhere from two days to two weeks,” said one Mount Aloysius student during the stay at SFU.
“School is virtual for the time being, and we really don’t know much more about what is going on except that they have started digging to find the leak and are working on repairs. This is all crazy.”
The Mount Aloysius students who stayed at Saint Francis last week had access to Torvian, Frankies and the DiSepio Fitness Center. The visiting students were provided swipe cards, linens, bed sheets and parking passes.
SFU freshman Molly Riva housed one of the visiting students in her triple dorm room.
“My roommates and I were asked if we had any room the night before the Mount Aloysius students moved in, and a student arrived (at our dorm room) around 11 a.m. the next morning,” said Riva.
“We’ve had no negative experiences at all, and we are understanding because the student didn’t have a choice.”
Several SFU students said there was a lack of communication between University officials and the students who were taking in Mount Aloysius roommates.
“No one told me that a Mount Aloysius student would be moving into my on-campus house,” said one SFU student who wished to remain anonymous. “The student showed up unannounced with an RA.
“I knew that there would be Mount Aloysius students living on campus from the mass email, but it would have been nice to know that a student would be moving into my house before she arrived.”
Sophomore Connor Omealia and freshman Evan Schmidt – two Mount Aloysius students who stayed at Saint Francis last week – said they enjoyed the campus dining options at Torvian and Frankies.
“I enjoy the dining hall a lot, and in my opinion, it’s better than ours,” said Omealia.
“I like that there is always one thing that I can eat at the dining hall,” said Schmidt.
Miles said he is thankful not only for the SFU students who welcomed their peers from the Mount to Loretto, but also for the efforts of a large number of SFU faculty and staff who volunteered to help the visiting students complete the check-in process.
“I am very appreciative of our students and how welcoming and understanding they were,” said Miles. “I am very proud of how they integrated when our neighbors were in need.”
