Burton Conner lounges closed while inspection underway
Burton Conner lounges closed while inspection underway
Two of Burton Connor’s lounges have been closed temporarily after students noticed the ceiling of one of the lounges moving during a party on March 5.
“A group of students in Burton Conner’s 240 lounge contacted housing night watch after noticing the ceiling moving during a registered party in the Burton 340 lounge,” Matthew Bauer, Special Assistant to the Dean, said in an email to The Tech. The Burton 240 and 340 lounges have been closed temporarily until the lounges can be deemed safe. Alternative gathering spaces, including other Burton Conner lounges and the Porter Room, have been made available to affected residents.
“An architect, structural engineers, facilities engineers, and housing staff were assigned by the Facilities Department and the Division of Student Life to inspect and assess the floor structure in the 340 lounge,” Bauer wrote.
The inspection will reveal if the floor structure is damaged, and if so, whether the damage occurred during the party or it was preexisting. Bauer said they didn’t yet know what the response would be if the inspections revealed either that the damage is new or preexisting.
Bauer said he expected inspections to be completed within the coming weeks.
Bauer says that the Burton Conner community has been notified of the situation and that findings of of the inspection will be shared with the Burton Conner housemasters and student leadership.
—Karleigh Moore