Utilities shut-downs spark student concern

With three weeks of vacation just having ended, many students expected problems waking up for their first day of class yesterday. But when they were told that their alarm clocks might not work, getting out of bed became even tougher and the clichZd excuse for missing class suddenly became legitimate. Many residents of Hamilton Village --Eformerly known as Superblock -- were welcomed back to campus Sunday by signs announcing electrical shut-downs which will continue throughout the week. The signs in all three high rises and Van Pelt Manor, part of Gregory College House, indicated that power would be shut off between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. yesterday, tomorrow and Friday. But despite the warning -- which led many students to hastily arrange early-morning wake-up calls since the power outage would reset their alarm clocks -- electricity did not go off in Harnwell or Hamilton houses. And students in eight of Van Pelt's rooms were also told yesterday they would be without water from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. due to residential construction. Sections of all three high rises and parts of the Quadrangle also lost hot water yesterday morning. Such problems are the latest in a series of glitches that caused University students living on campus to be without heat, electricity and hot water at various times this school year. The power shutdown is a result of Pennsylvania Electric Company electricians working to put in power lines for several new buildings in the area, including the new Dental School facility on 40th Street. In order to do so, PECO workers must temporarily turn power off to certain buildings. A customer service representative from PECO said that the power delivery department traditionally sends out letters to all clients explaining specific causes of power outages, the time at which they will occur and the number of a contact person to call with questions. But Gregory House Dean David Shengold and Faculty Master Robert Lucid both denied receiving such a letter. The lack of hot water is totally separate from the electrical problems. Vice President for Facilities Services Omar Blaik said a "loss of steam" over the weekend caused the water difficulties. He added that the University's hot water system runs on steam provided by Trigen Philadelphia Energy Corporation, and that a loss of pressure in the steam lines can cause a hot water shortage. "Recently, we have had several breakdowns in the system," Blaik said. "We are meeting with Trigen in hopes of figuring out what the source of the problem is and what we can do to resolve it." A customer service representative at Trigen, however, said he was unaware that there had been a problem this morning. Many students, including Van Pelt resident Mary Ferrer, complained that the power outage prevented her alarm clock from functioning. "I had to arrange to get a wake-up call from my friend because all of the alarm clocks were reset when the power went out," the College freshman said. The lack of hot water meant more trouble as students tried to get ready for their first day of classes. "I had to wake up extra early in order to be out of the shower by 10 [a.m.]," Ferrer said. Some students, like College junior Sandeep Tiyyagura, gave up completely. "I didn't feel like getting up and going to class since there was no water to get ready," he said. Students living in Van Pelt expressed confusion over the timing of the electrical work. "It seems like they could've done this while we were gone since they obviously didn't need our permission," Tiyyagura said. Blaik said that despite the University's best efforts, "it is very difficult to concentrate all of our regular maintenance as well as the renovation projects during the summer and winter breaks."