In need of repair
Old sinks and new leaks plague Simpson Hall, residents mop up weekend floods
Maria Schmitt
Issue date: 9/18/08 Section: News
Men on the south side of Simpson Hall dealt with buckets of rain last weekend - inside. A leak that started on the roof made its way to the basement, flooding the stairwell and seeping into hallways.
Resident assistants in Simpson lined up trash cans to catch the water and mopped up what they could, said Resident Assistant Zach Howard, a junior.
"There was quite a bit of water coming in," he said. "Mitch [Klingenberg] and I mopped it all up."
On the third-floor landing, water pulled a large patch of paint off the stairs. In the second-floor hallway, two fans were set up to help dry the area. At the bottom of the stairwell, a pile of dirty, water-soaked paper towels caught what made it all the way down the bottom floor.
Zack Miller, a sophomore, said he suspects the leak came into the second floor, where he lives, through a crack next to the wall, near the ceiling.
Simpson hasn't seen a leak like this recently, House Director Sue Wismar said.
Howard said he met with Dean of Men Aaron Petersen last year to discuss renovations for Simpson, such as new carpet and furniture, kitchenettes on each floor and a third-floor study lounge.
The school replaced Simpson's carpet and furniture, dropped hallway ceilings and repainted in 2002, said Vice President of Administration Rich Péwé.
"Simpson, structurally, like most of the dorms, is in pretty good shape," Péwé said.
However, he would still like to replace the dorm's single-pane windows, he said.
"If I were to do one thing to Simpson, I'd replace the entire window unit, including the kick-outs," he said. "Then they'd be double hung, and insulated."
The kick-out panels beneath windows in Simpson and McIntyre Hall are a fire escape mechanism.
To redo the windows and panels in Simpson would cost $370,000, he said.
Miller said he would like to see new sinks put in but beyond that, he thinks major renovation would be necessary.
"There's nothing else that could be fixed without building a new building," he said.
THE HISTORY
+ Built in 1966, Simpson was originally named West Residence.
+ In 1976, it was renamed after a local businessman who contributed to the college, College Historian Arlan Gilbert said.
+ Simpson also contributed to the intramural athletic fields, for which he is named.
+ He also helped fund Kresge Student Center and the Pi Beta Phi sorority house.
+ When Simpson was built, Gilbert said, it followed the time's modern architecture, pushing the college's budget for the building to the max.
Resident assistants in Simpson lined up trash cans to catch the water and mopped up what they could, said Resident Assistant Zach Howard, a junior.
"There was quite a bit of water coming in," he said. "Mitch [Klingenberg] and I mopped it all up."
On the third-floor landing, water pulled a large patch of paint off the stairs. In the second-floor hallway, two fans were set up to help dry the area. At the bottom of the stairwell, a pile of dirty, water-soaked paper towels caught what made it all the way down the bottom floor.
Zack Miller, a sophomore, said he suspects the leak came into the second floor, where he lives, through a crack next to the wall, near the ceiling.
Simpson hasn't seen a leak like this recently, House Director Sue Wismar said.
Howard said he met with Dean of Men Aaron Petersen last year to discuss renovations for Simpson, such as new carpet and furniture, kitchenettes on each floor and a third-floor study lounge.
The school replaced Simpson's carpet and furniture, dropped hallway ceilings and repainted in 2002, said Vice President of Administration Rich Péwé.
"Simpson, structurally, like most of the dorms, is in pretty good shape," Péwé said.
However, he would still like to replace the dorm's single-pane windows, he said.
"If I were to do one thing to Simpson, I'd replace the entire window unit, including the kick-outs," he said. "Then they'd be double hung, and insulated."
The kick-out panels beneath windows in Simpson and McIntyre Hall are a fire escape mechanism.
To redo the windows and panels in Simpson would cost $370,000, he said.
Miller said he would like to see new sinks put in but beyond that, he thinks major renovation would be necessary.
"There's nothing else that could be fixed without building a new building," he said.
THE HISTORY
+ Built in 1966, Simpson was originally named West Residence.
+ In 1976, it was renamed after a local businessman who contributed to the college, College Historian Arlan Gilbert said.
+ Simpson also contributed to the intramural athletic fields, for which he is named.
+ He also helped fund Kresge Student Center and the Pi Beta Phi sorority house.
+ When Simpson was built, Gilbert said, it followed the time's modern architecture, pushing the college's budget for the building to the max.
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