At approximately 2:40 p.m. Monday, the entire Saint Mary’s College campus lost power due to an emergency repair required at a nearby substation. According to Phil Bambeneck, the director of the Campus Safety Department, Indiana Michigan Power (I&M) communicated that power will be restored to the grounds between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Students and faculty began receiving alerts via text messages and phone calls of a possible power outage Monday morning. The first alert through the SMC alert system was sent at 10 a.m. Monday, stating that “problems with electrical service to campus may necessitate a total power outage.” By 11 a.m., the situation was upgraded to “standby,” which resulted in all elevators being shut off. The Noble Family Dining Hall also took precautionary measures during lunch hours such as offering disposable plates and utensils and a constricted menu to ensure dining services continued.
At 2:15 p.m., a third alert was released to the campus community confirming a campus-wide electrical outage at 3 p.m. and offered more information via email for policy guidelines and procedures. Power was cut approximately 20 minutes earlier than expected.
A fourth alert announced the College staff with I&M Power finished the repair early at 4:42 p.m. and the power around campus would be restored in stages.
According to the email, all academic classes were to be canceled after 3 p.m. The email said that faculty must communicate alternate plans to their students for make-up work and assignments. The Cushwa-Leighton Library also closed at 3 p.m. today and plans to reopen once power is restored to the building.
The Noble Family Dining Hall will offer a limited dining menu during its normal evening hours, 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. The 1844 Grill and Murphy’s Cafe closed for the evening and will reopen at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. respectively Tuesday morning. The Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex also closed with plans to reopen at 6 a.m. Tuesday morning. The cancellation of athletic practices was left to the discretion of the coaches.
In the email, all students living in residence halls were asked to keep their windows and refrigerators closed and to lock their doors if they planned to leave their room during the evening. The email also clarified that restrooms and cold water were still fully functional on campus.
The email stated the College’s VPN network will continue to work but encouraged students and faculty to save any files and to shut down any computers left on campus. It also noted that even after electricity is fully restored, internet connectivity may still be impacted.
Campus safety will patrol the campus during the outage to offer any necessary assistance.
Blinkie bus service began at 3 p.m. instead of the usual 7 p.m. to help with the flow of students traveling between campuses for meals or “library time” in addition to the regular Sweep bus services.
Nearly all administrative offices and departments closed for the day after the outage began.
