A Leaky Situation

Bluefield University students living in Alumni Hall have been complaining this semester about water leaks in their rooms. Just what is the problem, and how is the BU administration addressing the issue?

“My ceiling is leaking for no reason,” said Alumni Hall resident Savion Parham. “I think it stopped, but I don’t know.”

Another Alumni Hall resident Daniel Danso said the leaking is sometimes so bad he’s worried that other things in his room might get damaged.

“When it rains it leaks so bad that the carpet gets wet, which makes the room smell bad,” Danso said. “Trying to pull up the leak myself helps nothing at all.”

Chip Lambert, BU’s vice president for operations and technology, acknowledged he is aware of the issue but said the problem has been addressed.

“The leaks occurred before school started and originated with the roof,” Lambert said. “We had the roof repaired and then worked on replacing drywall and painting. It is my understanding all of that was completed.”

But Lambert added that if Alumni Hall residents are still experiencing water problems, they are encouraged to contact him.

“There’s water leaks every day here,” Tavarius Corbitt said. “You just can’t notice them sometimes, but they are there. The bottom of my bathroom floor has lines that separates the tile, and if you stand on them for a while or look closely you’ll see water all over them. Even around the baseboard of the bathroom is very damp.”