What started off as a gas leak led to Billy Recce, Fordham College at Lincoln Center (FCLC) ‘19 taking what he called “the most painful shower of my life.”  

On Feb. 26, a gas leak left McKeon Hall and the Law School without heat, warm water or cooking gas for approximately 24 hours, resulting in students such as Recce taking cold showers.

In an email from John Carroll, associate vice president of public safety, students were told that “There is no danger to the students, faculty and staff in the Law School and McKeon Hall” due to the building being well insulated. He also added that “residents are asked not to open windows nor hold exterior doors open unnecessarily to avoid more rapid loss of heat.”

McKeon residents were also told that if they needed a hot shower, they could “use the Fitness Center locker rooms on the 2nd floor of McMahon Hall: Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 11 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.”

Despite these provisions, many McKeon residents felt inconvenienced by the gas leak.

“I’m actually sick, so having to take a cold shower when you’re sick and also it being a freezing room is not helpful,” Madison Sidwell, FCLC ’19, said. “Especially in the midst of midterms and it’s really busy with my work schedule so it was just not fun to have to do that.”

Because of her work hours, Sidwell did not have the option of using showers in the Fitness Center locker rooms.  

“It doesn’t open until 9 a.m. on the weekends and I needed to be out of there sooner, so I had to take a cold shower before work,” Sidwell said.

“The Law Library was freezing, so everyone that usually goes there was studying in Quinn with everyone else,” Christina Aguirre, FCLC ‘19, said.

Other students stated that they would have liked more updates while the repairs were taking place. “They didn’t really update us as to what was happening, when it was going to come back on,” Kara Hogan, FCLC ‘19, said.

Although heat was restored approximately 24 hours after the gas leak, students remained upset.

“It was really just a major inconvenience more than anything else because it was cold in our building, we couldn’t shower [and] we couldn’t eat at [at the Undergraduate Dining Hall],” Hogan said.