By Abby Knox, Newswire Intern

Last Thursday night, students were evacuated from their dorms after an electrical malfunction caused power outages in Buenger, Husman and Kuhlman Halls.

The junction box located in the power plant between Kuhlman and Buenger Hall controls the power in Buenger, Kuhlman and Husman. The box short circuited, melting wires in Kuhlman causing them to smoke and setting off the fire alarms.

When the incident occurred, some students were out, with many playing bingo at Hoff Dining Commons, while others were still in the dorms. After the evacuation, no student was allowed to reenter the residence halls until they were cleared. 

Buenger and Husman residents were able to return safely to their dorms after they were cleared at around 10:30 p.m., 30 minutes after the fire alarm had originally gone off. Although, the power remained off until later the next day. 

Kuhlman Hall residents were instructed to head to Gallagher Student Center (GSC) to wait as it was unsafe for the students to return to their dorms. The All For One shop in GSC was ambushed by students looking to decompress by grabbing a snack.

“It was an interesting bonding experience with my friends. We slept on the couches in Alter while we waited for updates. I was very tired the next day and it was tough to stay awake during my classes,” Emily Brasser, a first-year nursing major and resident of Kuhlman, said.

It was not until after 12:30 a.m. that Kuhlman residents were allowed back into their dorms.

The next morning, many professors canceled class due to the unexpected events of Thursday night.

Students were told their professors would be informed of the incident. However, most professors found out about the situation through late night emails from students.

“The power outage definitely disrupted my night and caused a lot of stress due to the academic work that wasn’t complete and my phone being dead. Thankfully, my professors were understanding,” first-year psychology major and Kuhlman resident Emerson Honea said. “It threw my night for a loop for sure. My roommate and I considered other sleeping arrangements off campus because we were unsure of when things would return to normal.” 

“The power outage has caused me a lot of anxiety because I was unprepared for my classes due to my computer and phone being dead from not charging overnight,” first-year criminal justice major and Husman resident Madi Spears said.

The students of Husman resorted to using the flashlights on their phones for light and had to take cold showers as there was no electricity to warm the water. After almost 24 hours without electricity, the power was restored using a generator and the residents could continue on with their lives as normal.

The generator is estimated to continue powering Husman Hall until Thanksgiving break, when the technicians will be able to work in the empty residence hall. It is still unknown where the students who choose to stay in their dorms over break will have to go while the repairs are being completed.