“I didn’t want to take any risk,” were the words of a student asked to leave Schulze cafeteria last Wednesday night.
Stanley Danso walked into the school cafeteria to eat dinner that evening and as he ate, an officer walked over to warn him of a gas leak in the kitchen.
“He said if you’re still eating you can continue eating, but if you’re done you have to leave,” said Danso, freshman pre-nursing major.
Danso said he didn’t smell any gas, but his gut reaction was to leave immediately. Other students quickly took their cups and plates to the trash belt, while some stayed to finish eating, said Danso.
Students formed a long line, reaching the opposite end of the cafeteria, in order to dispose of their trash.
Chief of Police Steve Mahon said it wasn’t actually gas leaking, but that there were complications with the boiler.
“The new boiler wasn’t calibrated properly,” said Mahon. “It was putting more gas into the system than it was burning out.”
The new boiler was installed over the Christmas break. Mahon said that Schulze hasn’t had a frequent history of this issue.
The smell of gas was detected at 7:45 and the cafeteria was closed 10 minutes early to prevent more students from being at risk.
It was also closed the following morning of Jan. 15 for the breakfast and lunch periods, causing students to get those meals from the student union building.
Marsherry Durham said she usually goes to the Schulze for breakfast and her routine was thrown off by the closures.
“It’s just a little further walk for me because I live in Masur,” said Durham, sophomore radiology major.
Besides the longer walk for Durham, she was also surprised by what she saw when she entered the doors of the SUB on Thursday morning.
“I was like wow, I had never seen so many people in the SUB,” said Durham. “I was like, well I guess I’m going to have to stand in this line to get some breakfast.”
Though Durham’s usual routine was interrupted, she said the campus handled the matter professionally and said she felt informed throughout the process.
Schulze Cafeteria resumed normal hours Jan. 16, with no signs of trouble from the boiler.
