A lacrosse ball was thrown and accidentally knocked a sprinkler off the ceilng in Carrollton Hall
Around 12:30 a.m. on March 24, a sprinkler head in room 601, gushed water from the pipe and leaked throughout the west end of the building, the side closest to the Danna Center.
“It’s going to be a little bit of a camp out this evening,” said Craig Beebe, director of Residential Life, told an audience of Carrollton Hall residents who evacuated their building and were gathered in the St. Charles Room in the Danna Center.
“Just plan for the worst and hope for the best,” said a Loyola University police officer as he tried to answer the many questions Carrollton residents had.
Samantha Montano, psychology junior and resident of room 502 – one of the rooms hit hardest by the incident – compared the water leakage in her room to a waterfall.
“I had been asleep. There was water dripping in the corridor and by the time I went to knock on my suitemate’s door, there was water pouring,” Montano said.
Nevertheless, after the commotion had subsided and Carrollton was reopened Thursday afternoon, the living situation for many students had changed.
Management sophomore and fifth floor resident Bradan LaRuff said the smell in his room was awful.
His roommate, general studies sophomore Michael Latiolais, said that despite the smell, heat and humidity of the room, they declined Residential Life’s offer to move them into a room in Buddig or Biever Hall.
With school almost over, it’s less convenient, Latiolais said. LaRuffa’s belongings also suffered some damage, but he said that is a lesser issue. “(They) are material possessions that are replaceable,” LaRussa said.
In Montano’s case, the damage caused by the water does not exceed her insurance’s $1,000 deductible.
“It’s not going to be worth it,” Montano said. Students whose rooms were untouched by the water leakage were affected in other ways.
Judith Corro, psychology sophomore, said she had two tests the day the incident occurred.
At around 2:30 a.m., Corro e-mailed both her professors. While she was able to reschedule her 9:30 a.m. exam, she had to take her second exam later that morning.
Corro said that once she and a friend had sought refuge at another friend’s house, she had difficulty sleeping for the remainder of the night.
“I was still flustered with everything that had happened,” Corro said. “We were worried about how our things were, if we were going to be able to sleep there the next day or not.”
Josh Frohling, music industry junior and resident in room 601, said the entire incident was an accident.
“They (his roommates) tried to stop it) from flooding,” Frohling said. “Obviously the buckets didn’t work.”
“I was actually playing piano as the water rose,” said John Valdespino, music industry senior and resident in room 601.
Valdespino said he and another roommate immediately went out to find help. LUPD and Residential Life were already in Carrollton’s lobby.
According to Valdespino, who has not yet turned on his electronics, none of his valuables were damaged. Nevertheless, due to the smell and the loud noise from the dehumidifiers that were placed all over the suite, all five roommates are staying on and off campus with friends until their room is back in order.
Natalia Verdina can be reached at
