Lights out

Red and blue lights from fire trucks lit up the otherwise dark background as power suddenly cut off from several of the residences halls Monday night. Students rushed from buildings to huddle around each other for warmth and pulled out their cell phones to vent panic and inquire about the circumstances. \nAt 8:30 p.m. lights flickered and went out at Ashton, Teter, Wright, Willkie, Read and Forest residence halls and other academic buildings after power surges were caused by an electrical substation malfunction.\nFollowing the power failures, thousands of students were evacuated to the Main Library and Student Recreational Sports Center due to a lack of visibility, IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said. \nBloomington Police Department Sgt. John Hayes said the fire department was alerted when someone smelled smoke and students were evacuated because of the possibility of a fire.\nMinger, however, said there were no reports of fires. \nDue to the confusion, students stormed out of buildings, flooding streets and walkways. \nResidential Assistants escorted students from dorms to move away from the buildings and move along to SRSC and the Main Library since power was functioning there. University workers restored power and slowly escorted students back into the dorms after verifying students' safety.\nTeter resident senior Michelle Noyer said she was studying for a test when she was told her room was above the boiler room and that she needed to evacuate. \n"They told me the rooms were getting extremely hot and that I needed to move everything away from the heating ducts and get out," she said.\nNoier also noted that she smelled smoke wafting throughout her hallway as she exited.\nFreshman Shawndrika Butler said she was frightened by the evacuation.\n"I called my mama because I didn't know what was going to happen," Butler said as she clutched her Winnie-the-Pooh stuffed animal outside Forest Quad.\nMinger said these rumors caused widespread panic by students asked to leave their dorms. \n"There were a lot of rumors going around," Minger said. "We had news stations saying it was a terrorist attack. People are freaked out lately because of the war with Iraq and Sept. 11, and everyone thought things were worse than they were."\nOther issues that caused concern were flashing lights outside, which Minger said prompted many to panic needlessly. \nIn order to dispel any rumors, Minger immediately reacted by reporting on the Internet and to anyone who called that students would be allowed back in dorms and power was restored. \n"Our main concern was to calm people," Minger said. "We put information on the Web to help quell parents' fears since many parents probably couldn't get ahold of their children."\nBecause of a lack of visibility all of the dorms which had power failures should have been evacuated by Residential Programs and Services, Minger said, but several halls such as Read and Willkie said students were not forced to leave.\nRPS director of residential operations Bob Weith would not comment on the situation. \nMinger said there was no crime or disturbance reported as a result of the disruption. \nStill, many students' plans were altered due to the confusion.\n"I was planning to organize a Bible study with friends when the power just went out," freshman Steve Hage said. "So much for that idea."\nSome made the best of the incident by taking advantage of the time to play frisbee outside Teter Quad, exercise at the SRSC and play card games in other open areas such as the Main Library and the School of Education.\nOthers were in more inconvenient situations.\n"I was just getting out of the shower when this all happened," Wright resident freshman Erin Schutte said. "Luckily, I had a flashlight nearby"