Follow us on Instagram
Try our daily mini crossword
Play our latest news quiz
Download our new app on iOS/Android!

Soft ground delays Scully opening; fall '98 housing not guaranteed

The opening of Scully Hall will be delayed until mid-October because of faulty structural planning, University officials said yesterday. The housing status of more than 150 students remains uncertain.

Scully will undergo major structural changes that will convert many singles into doubles and greatly reduce the square footage of the remaining singles. Also, many of the kitchens and bathrooms will have to be demolished and converted into living space.

ADVERTISEMENT

Director of Physical Planning Jon Hlafter '61 said he cannot guarantee housing in Scully for all those who have drawn into the dorm. "Where students will live between the opening of school and the opening of Scully is yet to be determined," he said.

"The USG will do whatever is necessary to find a place for these students to sleep," said irate USG president David Ascher '99.

Construction problems

Construction problems were first discovered earlier this week when crews struck a layer of "soft firmament," said construction supervisor John Taylor.

This "firmament" will not allow Scully to be constructed to its full height, Taylor said, because the ground will not support the weight of the four-floor building.

To alleviate the problem, architects will have to eliminate the fourth floor, Hlafter said.

"This problem will require a major redesign and large construction alterations," Taylor said.

ADVERTISEMENT

The redesign will delay the opening of the dorm at least until mid-October, he said, and possibly beyond that.

"We certainly plan to have students in the dorm before they leave for Winter Break," he added.

The housing department is currently trying to find housing for students who will return to campus in September.

"We hope to have a viable solution to the problem in a week or two – we're just asking students to be patient with the situation," said Vice President for Finance and Administration Dick Spies GS '72.

Subscribe
Get the best of ‘the Prince’ delivered straight to your inbox. Subscribe now »

One option involves housing these students in quads in Patton Hall, which was set to close next year for renovations. The "last resort" option, Spies said, would be to place students on cots somewhere in Dillon Gym.

'Tight squeeze'

When students eventually are admitted into Scully, they will likely find that their rooms do not match the description in their room draw guides.

Initial plans, which Spies cautioned are far from finalized, call for the building to house all the students who drew into the building in a significantly reduced area.

"It's going to be a tight squeeze, but we know students will be cooperative in light of the very unusual situation," said Assistant Director of Housing Joseph Plaksa.

The square footage of almost all of the singles will be reduced to fit more rooms in the building, and larger singles will be made into doubles to fit more students into the existing dorm. Students who drew larger singles will be contacted by the housing department within the next two weeks for roommate requests, Plaksa said.

One student who drew into Scully, Denise Aronzon '99, said she was very unhappy with the news. "This is obviously a vast right-wing conspiracy by the administration against the students," she said.

Ascher said he is unhappy with the way the University has handled the housing crisis.

"I am personally working for the needs of those 163 students," Ascher said.

"We are forming a joint faculty-student committee to discuss this further, as well as conducting voicemail polls to see how students feel," he said. Ascher added that he welcomes student input and will be available this afternoon to discuss the issue in the USG office.