Facilities Management set to renovate amenities around campus

Facilities Management has started planning to fix a variety of broken amenities around campus. This planning process has been created to renovate the fountain in front of Kent Library, the Kent Fountain and an elevator in Towers East.

Facilities Management has started the planning process of solving the issues with both appliances.

SEMO’s Assistant Director of Building Maintenance Brent Pfeiffer said the timeline of the renovation will depend on design work and funding.

“There was an underground pipe rupture that flooded one of our underground tunnels. We weren’t able to find the source because of all of the underground piping and having to tear up concrete, things like that. So, the decision was made to take it [Kent Fountain] offline,” Pfeiffer said.

Pfeiffer said the plans for renovation will focus on the entire front area of Kent Library for a long range reconstruction.

The fountain in front of Kent Library has been down for almost two years now, and students say they miss seeing the fountain running.

Junior painting major Tony Stroemer-Mariotti said the fountain added a bit of charm to the front of Kent Library and misses seeing the fountain running.

“Whenever things get abandoned like that, it really does kind of affect the way everybody else behaves around it. It really does affect the way you see campus. So, like even a fountain, it really does affect what most SEMO’s students feel,” Stroemer-Mariotti said.

According to Psychology Today, listening to flowing water has benefits such as being associated with meditation and providing ‘white noise.’

Senior Corporate Communication major Ezarion Grant said the Kent Fountain provided cool scenery.

“We have a medium-sized campus so there’s not a lot to look at. So, that missing one piece can affect people,” Grant said.

Pfeiffer said in regard to one of the two elevators in Towers East, maintenance has been in contact with their elevator contractor, Otis Elevator Company. The plan in place is to replace the elevator doors and the door motor. The issue with the doors and door motor is why the elevator is consistently breaking down.

“We basically have just taken it offline where we’re not having anyone use it, get trapped or anything like that,” Pfeiffer said.

Sophomore Social Work major Hanah Colabianchi said having one available elevator at a time can be a little scary.

“If you get on an elevator, you’re gonna have to go up and down, because the other one is broken. You’re shoving a lot of people in one, kind of scary a bit,” Colabianchi said.

Junior Historic Preservation major Mercy Woodman had a scare herself when she got stuck in the elevator that is now set to be restored.

“I went up one floor, and then the elevator dropped, like, midway between the first and second floor. None of the buttons I pushed were working, so I called the on duty phone for the Resident Assistant,” Woodman said.

The fire department eventually was able to help Woodman out of the elevator. Woodman said SEMO offered her counseling resources in case she wanted them.

The timeline of when the elevator will be restored is unknown at this time.

If students have any further issues or find any other broken amenities around campus, contact Facilities Management.