Over winter break, cold temperatures led to water lines breaking across Wayne State’s campus. The bulk of the incidents occurred in Anderson Hall, where the complete flooding of the third floor led students to experience countless issues regarding damaged clothing and bedding, missing personal items, general anxiety around having someone rifling through belongings and even having to move dorms completely.  

Students living in Anderson Hall were contacted by email over winter break, outlining the damage and how the college would move forward. In these emails, students were told the first, second and basement areas of the residence hall were cleaned, sanitized and ready for students to move back in for the spring semester.  

Those living on the third floor did not receive such luck. However, since these individuals’ rooms and belongings received the most damage, students were relocated to another dorm on campus. The cost of their dorm living reduced by 25% for the spring semester, as opposed to the 10% discount given to Andersen students who remain in the dorm.  

The college contacted ServPro to assist in the cleaning process. All belongings, including clothing, bedding, rugs and more, were cleaned and returned to each room. They also utilized industrial fans and dryers to air out the facility.  

“The third floor and attic of Anderson Hall has been drying out well,” Director of Residence Life Heidi Acton said. “ServPro’s large outside drying equipment is being removed early this week. The third floor student room flooring is being removed this week and attic insulation is planned to be installed the week of Jan. 30.” 

Other damage included wet insulation in the attic, damaged ceiling tiles and at least eight broken pipes in the attic. Some dorms on the first and second floors of the hall still have damage including peeling paint and uplifted floor tiles.  

Due to the extent of the damage, the company deemed some items unsalvageable. However, instead of throwing away these items, they were brought to Benthack Hall where students had the opportunity to find their items and make the decision for themselves.  

 Some items in the return process became mixed up between residents, according to Acton. An email sent out during the first week of the semester encouraged students to reach out to Residence Life to return items they did not own or attempt to find missing belongings.  

Guidelines were then set in place for students to file claims regarding missing or damaged property. Several students have filed these claims, especially for missing items having nothing to do with the cleanup process. 

A WSC junior living in Pile Hall is currently working on a report through Res Life for a series of missing and disturbed personal items. Among these was a jewelry box, which upon arrival for the semester, the student found opened and completely empty.  

Other students have alleged missing items including money, jewelry, Roku remotes, batteries, clothing and more. Some have even reported personal drawers with undergarments being rifled through.  

Brett Hilbers, past student trustee, encouraged all WSC students experiencing hardships due to this incident to contact him for support. These messages, he took to a meeting with the Nebraska State College System Board of Trustees.  

“Wayne State employees and contractors [will] continue to work to fully restore affected areas on campus,” WSC President Marysz Rames said. “I want to personally thank each of these committed WSC employees who rallied during the intense cold over the holidays. Your work made a difference.” 

Further questions should be directed toward Acton. The Wayne Stater will continue to follow this story as it develops.