Isis Huizar was wondering how she was going to spend the rest of the night before her 9:30 a.m. class on Wednesday. She just wanted to sleep.
Around midnight on March 23, the psychology junior, along with other Carrollton residents, was startled by the fire drill. After evacuating to the St. Charles Room, residents were told that a ruptured fire sprinkler had flooded the upperclassmen dorms and that water might have spilled down the building. The residents could not sleep in their rooms that night.
Charles Bourg, religious studies freshman, was studying for his philosophy test for the next day when he heard the news from his friends Huizar and Tracey Kinamore, psychology junior. They weren’t sure when they would be able to go back to their rooms, so Bourg offered them a place to sleep at his house.
“They couldn’t sleep and I had a place to sleep,” Bourg said. “It wasn’t a decision; it was a fact that they would be coming to my house. If I was in that position, I would hope my friends would help me.”
Huizar and Kinamore said they felt relieved and lucky to have a friend like that.
“He had no reason to take us to his home because he doesn’t even live in Carrollton, but he still did,” Huizar said.
Khaled Badr, a biology sophomore and resident assistant in Carrollton Hall, escorted residents back to their rooms to get essential things for the night. After moving most residents’ belongings out of harm’s way, Badr went home to his family at 5 a.m. just to shower and come back. He said he didn’t sleep at all that night.
“Khaleed’s actions were really heroic.” said Julia Russler, mass communication senior.
Michael Kammer, Carrollton resident and physics senior, offered his parents’ house to seven residents, some of whom he didn’t even know.
“I knew where I was going to stay, so I went around to find out if everyone else had a place to stay,” Kammer said.
Dayaamayi Kurimela, studio arts and pre-med junior, also offered up her off-campus house for three residents to stay for the night.
“I didn’t want them to have any more complications than they already did,” Kurimela said.
Samantha Montano, Carrollton resident and psychology junior, is currently living with another student because she cannot currently stay in her suite due to the damage.
“Since this incident has happened,” Montano said, “every student on this campus has been more than willing to open their doors to allow us to stay with them. Residential Life was wonderful that evening.”
All students were cleared to return to their rooms at 1 p.m. on March 24, according to Craig Beebe, director of Residential Life.
“A very small number of students have requested temporary rooms in which to sleep until all maintenance equipment has been removed from their rooms, but all rooms, including those directly affected by water from last week’s situation, have been deemed safe for occupancy by Loyola students,” Beebe said in an e-mail.
Approximately 30 students stayed in the St. Charles Room that night, along with student staff and professional staff from Residential Life.
Huizar was luckily not one of them; she slept comfortably in Bourg’s home.
Zainab Aziz can be reached at
