Elon University - Phi Psi Cli Yearbook (Elon, NC)

Page 13 text:

Above: Maintenance men and fire marshals surveyed the damage after the fire. Below: The flames drew fire units from as far away as Altamahaw- Ossippee as firemen attempted to quench the blaze. Below Right: Dejectedly, residents stood by as the fire was finally extinguished.

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Who Got Burned? Spring evenings at Elon are usually rather laid back and quiet. Such was the case Thursday evening April 6,1976 until a fire broke out in a room on the third floor of Carolina Dormitory. What started as a routine night ended up as one of the most memorable on our campus. Several students remained on the hall to help fight the fire and make sure everyone exited safely. These were the only students to suffer from smoke inhalation. One boy panicked and jumped from a third floor window, breaking a leg. However, many students left the third floor safely after the student jumped. There was never any immediate danger to the students’ lives. Several area volunteer fire departments responded to the call and even those as far away as Burlington were on the scene. There was some confusion in finding the dormitory but the firefighters managed to contain the fire to one small section of the hall. Many rumors have floated about concerning the late arrival of the fire departments and their performance. But the truth is they handled the situation very well considering the state of confusion they faced. After it was over all of the residents were asked to assemble in Whitley Auditorium. Dr. Young took over and conducted all of the proceedings of the evening. The original plan was to provide accommodations for the students in local motels. But upon hearing about the boys homelessness, members of the community volunteered their homes for the night. There was enough support from the neighbors of the college to make the motel plans un necessary. Students who slept in cars or on floors did so by choice. The next day students went back into the dorm and col- lected their undamaged belongings and arranged to move to new, crowded rooms for the remainder of the year. There was much smoke and water damage on the third floor of the dormitory. Therefore there was much repair work to be done. Some of the students requested to be housed in a school-owned house which was scheduled to be a fraternity house in the fall. This request was denied due to zoning negotiations which were being carried out between the school and the Town Council. The local media distorted some of the events surrounding the fire. It was reported that the school reneged on its promise to provide motel accommodations for the students when in fact the change in plans came about because of community people volunteering their homes to house students for the night. There were also articles falsely maligning fire departments on the scene and student behavior was unfairly criticized. It was due to these unresearched stories which were printed that false rumors cropped up. The fire was thought to have been set by overturned candles in a student's room, though the exact cause has never been verified. We do know that since that time the school has taken additional precautionary fire measures and implemented fire escape plans. Students and school officials alike learned some valuable lessons from the incident. Many students joined the local fire department and students and administrators alike realized the importance of cooperation and organization.

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Winter Term Break Away Right: Instructor helps a beginner get balanced on his skiis after falling. Winter term at Elon gives students a chance to get away from the traditional subjects into a more specialized field of interest. Two courses offered allowed students to study off campus: Snow Skiing, and the Studies Abroad Program in England. For the eighty-seven students and faculty who toured England, the journey was a trip back into history. They ex- perienced and visited such places and events as Westminister Cathedral, the Crown Jewels, Picadilly Circus, and the chang- ing of the guard. Entertainment at night included plays, concerts, traditional English pubs and nightclubs. Half of the group went by train to Edinburgh, Scotland. The snow skiing course was taught on Appalachian Mountain in Boone, N.C. The cold weather and plenty of snow made conditions generally good for learning. The thirty-two students participating spent the days on the slopes and relaxed during the chilly evenings at parties given by the ski college. Coach Don Kelly provided moral support to those who took some un- expected downhill slides! The learning experience is well worth the money for those prospective “snowbunnies.” 10