Bennett-Smith Hall invites its Residents to Return

Residents of Bennett-Smith Hall may return to their building.  Many different types of inspectors have been in the Residence Hall in the last seven hours and all agree that it is a safe place to live. It appears that the water and smoke damage was minimal. 

If this is the first article concerning Bennett-Smith that you are reading today, know that there was a small fire in that Residence at about ten am, today. A welder fixing the air conditioning system in Bennett-Smith Hall quickly extinguished a fire caused by a pinhole leak in his acetylene tank. This small fire caused a smoky mess on the third floor hallway.   All students were evacuated safely and the Hackettstown Fire Department responded quickly.  The fire suppression system functioned as designed to ensure the safety of our students. Evacuation horns sounded and a sprinkler head in the hallway discharged an enormous quantity of water. 

We are thankful that no one was hurt during the incidents of the day and are grateful for the non-stop work of many.  Although he is uncertain for whom he is apologizing,   (the capricious cosmos?) the Vice President for Student Engagement does wish to recognize that the situations of the day disrupted the lives of one hundred and twenty-eight residents who were ejected from their apartments just in time for the first meetings of a new semester's class.  He thanks them for their patience and generally cheerful dispositions.