Displaced University of South Dakota students can go home on Thursday.
A broken water pipe forced 500 students from Coyote Village on Monday night. After two days, university officials announced the problem was fixed and said the building would be dried out by Thursday.
“I'm very frustrated with it, obviously. I think it's good for us to know what it actually feels like living out of a suitcase, not knowing when you're going to sleep for the night. That was scary yesterday,” USD Sophomore Stacia Knuth said.
Students rushed to get inside before the dorm closed on Wednesday. It stayed open during daylight hours so they could collect their belongings.
“That was news to me. I didn't know when we were getting back in. So I hope it is tomorrow morning. That'd be great,” said freshman Brandon Stanley.
“Well, I left all my sweat pants up there and I'm really tired of wearing dress clothes and jeans. So I'm going to get my sweat pants,” Knuth said.
Crews have worked around the clock to repair a broken water pipe. The university transported students to off-site hotels. Officials also provided students with food.
“The beds are comfortable for a Super 8, but it's still not like sleeping where everything is. It's the conveniences of your home you have. But it's the convenience of being in your own place,” said sophomore Tanya Ochsner.
And if you ask these students what grade they'd give the university so far for this crisis, the best consensus is, "A" for effort, grading on a pretty large curve.
“I think it's a good learning experience for the university because they obviously had no plan of action otherwise,” Ochsner said.
“I am frustrated with the University for not giving us more information as to the status of their progress. I wish they would tell us what part they are working on and how far along they are,” Knuth said.
Five hundred students live in Coyote Village. About 280 went to hotels. Many of the others bunked with friends. Students were evacuated late Monday night and say at that time, up to five inches of water flooded parts of the main lobby.
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