1:57 p.m. – SMU Dining services treated students to a free barbecue picnic outside of Clements Hall Friday afternoon.
The complimentary food helped ease hungry stomachs as the Umphrey Lee Center remained closed during lunchtime. The picnic was a way of saying “thank you” to students for their patience during the dining hall’s temporary closing.
Lines remained steady throughout the afternoon as students helped themselves to servings of coleslaw, potato salad, chicken, brisket and cookies
The dining hall is set to reopen for dinner at 4 p.m. Friday and will resume normal operating hours Saturday.
This update was reported by Online Editor Daniela Huebner.
6:05 a.m. – SMU tweeted and sent a campus wide email stating that sewer line repairs have been completed. Virginia-Snider Commons will be open to residents at 7:30 a.m. Friday.
Repairs completed @SMU. Virginia-Snider opens 7:30 a.m. today. Lee Dining Hall re-opens for dinner tonight. Thanks to everyone for patience.
— SMU (@SMU) August 28, 2015
Umphrey Lee Center’s dining hall will reopen for dinner Friday and resume normal hours Saturday.
Story by SMU-TV was posted at 9:55 p.m.
9:30 p.m. – SMU sent an email update to students, faculty and staff regarding sewer line repairs. Virginia-Snider and Umphrey Lee’s dining hall will remain closed Friday. Once again, Mac’s Place will be open for breakfast and the Umphrey Lee Center will have regular operating hours Friday.
SMU Dining Services will serve a free barbecue picnic for students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the Flagpole, while supplies last.
SMU plans to update campus about the repairs 6 a.m. Friday.
Mac’s Place will be open for breakfast again tomorrow from 7am-10am due to Lee’s temporary closure. Thank you for your patience @SMU
— SMU Dining Services (@SMUDining) August 27, 2015
Thursday eve.update for Umphrey Lee Ctr & Virginia-Snider @SMU just posted at http://t.co/8Hqsb3oqnh. Repairs continue, next update 6 a.m.
— SMU (@SMU) August 28, 2015
5:40 p.m. – All Virginia-Snider residents will be required to vacate the Commons by 6 p.m. Sophomore Daniel Muehring, a Virginia-Snider resident, said he is disappointed in SMU.
“I feel bad for freshman who have to go through this,” Muehring said. “Extra beds might be readily available for upperclassmen around campus, but not for those who have only been here for little over a week.”
Another resident, first-year Collin Risinger said SMU is putting him and other students in the Magnolia Hotel for another night. Meuhring is planning to spend the night with his friend.
“It’s easy for us who have been here to brush this off as another SMU misadventure, but for those who are brand new, this event will put an early damper on their college experience,” Meuhring added.
6:10 a.m. – SMU has tweeted and emailed students, faculty and staff with updates. Umphrey Lee Center will be open at 7:30 a.m. Thursday for classes.
However, Virginia-Snider Commons and Umphrey Lee’s cafeteria will remain closed, due to sewer line repairs on “a campus construction site,” SMU says.
The Bob Smith Health Center is currently under construction near Virginia-Snider. SMU is expecting sewer line repairs to continue through Friday morning.
Umphrey Lee Ctr @SMU open for regularly scheduled classes at 7:30 a.m. today. — SMU (@SMU) August 27, 2015
Sewer repairs @ SMU continue to affect Virginia-Snider Commons and Umphrey Lee Dining, which remain closed. Repairs expected thru Friday AM. — SMU (@SMU) August 27, 2015
Mac’s Place will temporarily be open for breakfast Thursday from 7 to 10 a.m. All other dining locations will operate by their regular hours.
Lee Dining remains closed thru breakfast Friday. Other dining locations open, including Arnold Commons. Mac’s Place open 7 a.m. Thursday. — SMU (@SMU) August 27, 2015
Alternative housing arrangements are being made for Virginia-Snider residents, who will continue to receive email updates about the situation.
V-Snider students will continue to receive updates through @SMU email & alternative housing arrangements are being made for Thursday night. — SMU (@SMU) August 27, 2015
SMU regrets the inconvenience re: repairs and thanks V-S students & all for patience. Please watch @SMU email & social media for updates. — SMU (@SMU) August 27, 2015
Footage shot by SMU-TV’s Savannah Louie was posted 10:30 p.m. Wednesday.
9 p.m. – According to an email sent by SMU to Virginia-Snider residents, students were required to leave the Commons by 8 p.m. Wednesday.
“Within a few days of getting here, we are now being forced to leave our Commons,” first-year Collin Risinger said. “However, they did put us in the Magnolia Hotel so we can’t be too mad.”
A room for two adults at the Magnolia Hotel is priced at $165 per night – excluding taxes and fees. With its “summer grand opening sale,” a room for two adults costs $132 per night.
Risinger said around half of Virginia-Snider residents are staying at the Magnolia while the other half are making other arrangements. He also said SMU is providing shuttle service to students staying in the hotel.
“I just hope it’s cleaned up by tomorrow,” he added.
8:30 p.m. – Virgina-Snider resident and sophomore Daniel Muehring is planning to stay the night with a friend in Shuttles.
“There was a distinct sewage smell in Virginia-Snider since yesterday,” he said. “I have to give great credit to the Virginia-Snider leadership team and the RA’s for being ready at a moment’s notice to handle this situation. It’s not like VS has an emergency plan to house all 250+ residents somewhere else on a few hours notice in its back pocket.”
6:40 p.m. – Umphrey Lee will remain closed Wednesday night for sewer line repairs. The building is expected to be open for classes Thursday. SMU will have confirmed information for students, faculty and staff at 6 a.m.
The cafeteria will also be closed through breakfast Thursday. Virginia-Snider Commons will also be closing overnight. SMU is currently arranging alternative housing arrangements. Residents will be updated by email.
Umph will not be open for dinner tonight–visit us at Arnold (open until 8 PM) or Mac’s (open until midnight) to use your meal swipe. @smu — SMU Dining Services (@SMUDining) August 26, 2015
Umphrey Lee Ctr. expected to re-open for classes Thursday, but University will update campus at 6 a.m. via @SMU email & social media. — SMU (@SMU) August 26, 2015
Virginia-Snider Commons @SMU closing overnight for sewer repairs. Other housing arrangements underway. V-S students to get info. by e-mail. — SMU (@SMU) August 26, 2015
Virginia-SniderCommons residents @SMU to receive relocation updates via email. Students with other questions should contact their RA or RCD. — SMU (@SMU) August 26, 2015
3:38 p.m. – The Virgina Snider Commons also appears to be affected. Signs were posted in and around the building warning students not to use any facilities in the building.
3:03 p.m. – SMU tweeted and emailed students, faculty and staff that Umphrey Lee will be closed for sewage line repairs.
Umphrey Lee Ctr. is temporarily closing at 3 p.m. today for sewer line repairs. Affected students should consult their professors by email. — SMU (@SMU) August 26, 2015
2:46 p.m. – There is no official word from SMU yet, but sources say classes held in Umphrey Lee after 3 p.m. Wednesday will be canceled.
Original post 2:38 p.m. – The Umphrey Lee Center will temporarily close at 3 p.m. Wednesday. This is due to a supposed sewage leak. The cafeteria and classes on the first floor were evacuated at 2 p.m. Maintenance is currently looking into the issue.
Umph is temporarily closed -please visit Arnold or our other dining locations around campus. We apologize for the inconvenience @SMU — SMU Dining Services (@SMUDining) August 26, 2015
We will update this story as more information becomes available.
