Washington Week: Student Voices (O)

U. Iowa begins to survey its buildings, process damages
By Olivia Moran
The Daily Iowan, U. Iowa
June 20, 2008

Hancher Auditorium is dark. The building is without electricity, and the water has now receded to the 15th row of the venue, leaving mud and mildew on the once-flooded stage.

For the first time, officials escorted members of the media into three buildings on the UI's art campus on Thursday, surveying damage along the way.

"A building that has a river flowing through it is a building that will have extensive damage," said Dan Heater, the director of operations and maintenance for UI Facilities Management.

Officials will have a dollar estimate of the damage to the university by this afternoon, he said.

As of Thursday, 20 campus buildings were still closed. Iowa City officials reopened the Highway 6 bridge, however, in addition to lifting numerous evacuation orders.

Residents from Normandy Drive were allowed to re-enter as well as those living on Commercial Drive and Commercial Court. The Baculis Mobile Home Park, the Thatcher Mobile Home Park, and 20 other Iowa City streets were also reopened.

On 9 p.m. Thursday, the city website reported that outflow at the Coralville Reservoir was 25,200 cubic feet per second, compared with 32,400 on Wednesday. In addition, the Iowa River dropped nearly 1 foot over Wednesday night.

The staff estimated outflow at the Reservoir will be 20,000 cubic feet per second by June 24, and that the Iowa River level will drop 3 feet by June 25.

Jeri King, the assistant to the associate vice president for Facilities Management, said assessment of the UI campus will begin depending on "the status of the buildings."

Safety assessments of the Adler Journalism Building, the Becker Communications Building, and the Main Library - buildings where only the basements took on water - were completed by Thursday.

Heater said the evaluation is a six-step process. Ventilation of the facilities will most likely happen for the next few days.

Eventually, officials will take inventory of the buildings to be sure all property is accounted for.

By the reconvening of classes on June 23, there will be "minimal equipment movement and minimal vehicle movement," Heater said.

A limited number of UI employees were allowed inside Adler for about a half hour on Thursday, including UI journalism Associate Professor Leo Eko.

"Adler looks very weird. It's dark," he said. "It's not the Adler we know."

Eko is teaching a media workshop class this summer that will transform into a lab strictly related to the flood, he said. His students will make a documentary of the tragedy, which has turned into somewhat of an opportunity for student journalists, he said.

"If you're out in the field, you have to produce a program that is broadcast quality even in the most adverse circumstances," he said. "I want them to tell the story of the flood."

Eko said his class - originally set to take place in Adler - is still homeless. UI officials are working on relocating summer classes.

The three freshman Orientation programs scheduled through June 25 were all canceled, UI officials announced on Thursday, although the sessions will eventually be rescheduled.

Susan Shullaw, the senior vice president for strategic communication at the UI Foundation, said the foundation has so far received 595 gifts in just online credit-card donations. That is nearly 450 additional gifts since Tuesday. Shullaw said she expects the current donation total of more than $96,000 will reach at least $100,000 by today.

*DI* reporters Brian Stewart and Dean Treftz contributed to this report.

E-mail DI reporter Olivia Moran at: olivia-moran@uiowa.edu

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