The College of Arts and Sciences sent an email out February 22 that was rather special. It wasn’t about an event, or scheduling advising, or anything of the sort: it was a forwarded email from University Relations, providing a place for people without power to take a hot shower and have a warm bed to sleep in.
“The shelter offer is being made free of charge to help address a community emergency,” stated University Relations. In order to take advantage of the offer, students or employees need to have Bronco ID cards handy. Students seeking sanctuary are advised to call (269) 387-4735 as soon as possible.
Sunday, 20 February, brought an ice storm that left roads slick, campus coated like a frozen dreamscape, and a plethora of students without power. In response, Western opened its doors and cranked up the heat.
According to Consumer’s Energy, the weekend storm left 17,000 residents of Kalamazoo County powerless, making it the hardest-hit county within Consumer’s purview. The Kalamazoo Gazette reported nine buildings without heat in Kalamazoo Public Schools and six more in Portage, to say nothing of Kalamazoo College cancelling morning classes Monday due to their own lack of heat. Needless to say, there was a bit of an issue.
Consumer’s Energy reported Tuesday, 22 February that residents affected by these outages may not find their homes heated until as late as Friday, 25 February. “Because of the significant damage this storm has caused to our electric system … it is taking considerably more time to restore service,” stated Consumer’s Vice President Rufus Gladney.
During this time, Western will serve as a shelter for cold and powerless students. Citing dangerously low temperatures and long times until repairs can be expected complete to the power grid, the email from University Relations promised to keep an eye on details as they unfold, and stated that Western believed it necessary to respond to what it characterized as an “emergency” situation.
At his Open Forum that same Tuesday, President John Dunn informed students without electricity or heat that Western was responding to the situation by offering the campus community a warm place to stay, some hot showers, and warm meals. Dining services are of course are always available on campus, the Student Recreation Center’s shower facilities were likewise made available, and the residence halls were opened to people who needed somewhere to sleep.
“We can be a beacon of safe harbor,” said President Dunn about the offer Western extended. Western quickly mobilized to become a shelter to its students in need and is still attempting to get the word out.
Thanks to the fact that Western has its own power plant, Dunn explained, the University can, in times of crisis, rely on its own power grid and provide a “place of last resort” for the student body, as well as the Kalamazoo community, in the event of a severe outage.
In vast numbers, students have expressed both their admiration and gratefulness for Western’s response to the situation. While a fair number of students got power back by Wednesday, 23 February, the offer on the University’s part has been greatly appreciated. As for the number of students who took Western up on the offer, that information was not available at the time of this reporting.
The email from University Relations explained specific services available to students without power. Off-campus students seeking a place to sleep could be housed, free-of-charge, in a hall such as Eldridge-Fox, which often is opened for special demands such as those this circumstance provides. In this particular instance, the residence halls are opening fifty rooms on a first-come, first-served basis. The email did not explicitly say these rooms were in Eldridge-Fox or that it was being employed in this situation. The email did say, however, that depending on demand three lounges may be converted into emergency shelters.
Additionally, the email explained that the Student Recreation Center’s showers would be available for students lacking hot water. Naturally, those taking advantage of this offer would need to bring their own towels and toiletries.
As for a hot meal, the email reminded students that WMU Dining Dollars are accepted at all dining services locations, and that Visa and Mastercard are accepted at Bistro3, Davis Hall, Bernhard Café and Market, Parkview Café at Parkview, and Bella Vita Café at East Campus.
Her Campus™WMU hopes you keep warm.