Fire alarm delays orientation
By: Amir Kurtovic, Kholood Eid
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A fire alarm delayed the official start of orientation weekend Friday, Aug. 21, in morning at the Loretto-Hilton Center. But instead of fire or smoke, spray paint was the culprit.
"Workers in the scene shop in the basement [of the Loretto-Hilton center] were spray painting, and the smoke detectors are pretty sensitive" said Tracy Winka, a Public Safety manager. "Sometimes they put bags over the detectors to stop them from going off, but in this case they did not."
Students and parents were streaming into the auditorium when the alarm went off at 9:02 a.m. Webster University's President Elizabeth Stroble was only a few feet away from the entrance of the auditorium, speaking to Student Government Association President Justin Raymundo, a sophomore human rights and English major. In the duration of that conversation orientation leaders (OLs) started telling people to evacuate the building.
In front of the Loretto-Hilton Center, OLs and Public Safety officers cleared the driveway and told people to move to the sidewalk and grassy areas. Fire sirens could be heard wailing in the distance and nobody appeared overly concerned or annoyed by the disturbance.
"I don't think it was hectic at all," said Jabrina Simmons, an OL and senior biology major. "We tried to move everybody out of way before the fire department arrived."
Stroble stood outside the Loretto-Hilton Center talking with Webster Groves Mayor Gerry Welch and Dean of Business Benjamin Akande, among others. They, too, were relaxed and appeared to be having a casual conversation.
Stroble later remarked that she was exchanging notes with Mayor Welch about the response to the fire alarm by WU staff and Webster Groves police and fire fighters.
The city of Webster Groves showed up in force. Three fire engines, one cop car and one ambulance were on the scene by 9:09 a.m. Both lanes of Garden Avenue, behind the Loretto-Hilton center, were closed to traffic, while one lane of Edgar Road, in front of Emerson library, was also blocked. By 9:15 a.m. the Loretto-Hilton center was deemed safe by firefighters, allowing the planned event to get back on track.
"[The alarm was] a minor setback and delay," Stroble said, "but also a teachable moment aboutcampus safety and cooperation with the Webster Groves mayor and police and fire department."
After the comments on the fire alarm, Stroble continued by welcoming new students to WU.
"And just as you are new to this University, so am I," Stroble said.
Her first official day as WU's president was July 1. With just over a month on the job, Stroble shared some observations about WU she hopes will be also be experienced by new students.
"I admire the beauty of this campus, the close feeling of family and community, the tangible and genuine valuing of students first," she said. "And the opportunity for students to gain international competency through study abroad as well as interactions with fellow students and faculty and an engagement with topics of global interest."
Jim Staley, the vice president of academic affairs, was the next speaker. He drew frequent laughter while sharing some of his "truths," things he had learned over his years as a teacher, parent and administrator.
"Truth number one: college is very different from high school," Staley said. "In high school, almost everything you did was planned by someone else."
He explained that at WU, students would be on their own and have freedom to follow their interests.
While a lot of Staley's truths were insightful and inspirational, some were simple and practical.
"Truth number eight, in case you mom didn't teach you how to do laundry, don't mix colors," Staley said. "It looks really bad."
Bill Lynch, professor in the theater and dance department and faculty senate president, and Mayor Welch were the last two speakers at the event.
"I am so glad to be here to welcome you," Mayor Welch said. "We brought the fire trucks, we brought the ambulances, we brought the police department, and they were all here to welcome you."
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