Editor’s note: This article was initially published in The Daily Gazette, Swarthmore’s online, daily newspaper founded in Fall 1996. As of Fall 2018, the DG has merged with The Phoenix. See the about page to read more about the DG.
Students in Sharples found one of the two drinks stations inaccessible last week. According to Linda McDougall, Dining Services Director, “over the past couple of years we have had problems with certain areas of the floor buckling.” This is merely the latest occurrence.
McDougall pointed the cause to the fluctuations in weather, saying, “over many years, the floor has expanded and contracted so much that the concrete underneath is crumbling,” which “causes a speed bump-like appearance.” The floor was then blocked off, to avoid any potential problems with its unevenness.
Facilities is now in the process of repairing the floor, says McDougall, as well as adding an expansion joint to help prevent the same problem from reoccurring. Hopefully the repairs will be completed by the end of the week, and the beverage station will be “back to normal,” she said.