Jackson State reopens Alexander Hall after storm-related outage displaces students

Jackson State University officials said Monday that students displaced from the Alexander Hall dormitory by a weekend power outage can return after repairs and safety inspections.

Officials said the building was evacuated after the dorm’s fire suppression system activated during severe storms. Vance Siggers, the university’s vice president of campus operations, said the damage was repaired overnight and two rounds of inspections confirmed the building was safe for occupancy.

Alexander Hall houses more than 500 students, and officials said 223 residents requested temporary relocation. “Moving forward, we are ready again in case something like this happens again,” Siggers said.

Some students said the university’s initial response caused confusion. Lesile Williams, a freshman studying journalism and media studies, told Mississippi Today she woke to blaring fire alarms and was later told she had 10 minutes to pack up to three days’ worth of belongings. She said an email shared with Mississippi Today said emergency housing was available based on availability.

Joshua King, a sophomore studying journalism and media studies, said he spent much of Sunday helping friends find overnight housing and described displaced students waiting outdoors. In a memo to faculty shared with Mississippi Today, university officials said instructors should make accommodations for displaced students’ final exams. Jonas Vanderbilt, vice president of student affairs and interim vice president of enrollment management, said students with additional concerns may contact administrators. “As of now, we’ve gotten no complications back from students, which is good news,” Vanderbilt said.

Source: Original Article