A Thursday morning sprinkler system malfunction on Mississippi University for Women’s campus prompted a last-minute venue change for Heritage Academy’s graduation ceremony, scheduled for 7 p.m. tonight.
The graduating class of 45 seniors will now hold commencement at Fairview Baptist Church at 127 Airline Road. Heritage Head of School Sean Harrison, said the venue change will not affect any other aspects of the ceremony.
“We made one call to Fairview, and they were very good to us,” Harrison told The Dispatch on Thursday. “We got the communication out, so (it was) just a little bump in the road. That’s all.”
The fire suppression system in Rent Auditorium, located in Whitfield Hall, malfunctioned at about 10:30 a.m., flooding about half the wooden stage with one to two inches of water, according to Tyler Wheat, director of communications at The W.
First responders were alerted when the sprinkler system activated and arrived quickly, Wheat said. University facilities personnel shut off the system within “a matter of minutes” following the initial alarm.
Wheat said the sprinkler system is again operational, though the cause of malfunction remains under investigation. Tupelo-based E Fire, which maintains the system, is expected to return to campus today to investigate further and determine whether repairs or replacements are needed.
By about 1 p.m., employees with Robinson Janitorial Specialist were lining up fans to dry the stage and rolling up water-stained carpets as cleanup continued, though all standing water was gone by that time.
Although damage was not immediately visible, Wheat said it was too early to determine the extent of impact to the flooring and walls in the nearly century old building.
“Right now it’s basically a clean up operation,” Wheat told The Dispatch on Thursday. “We’re shooting to have everything back up by (Friday). That’s being optimistic.”
The full extent of damage and associated repair costs will be determined after the stage has fully dried, Wheat said.
Seniors at the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science are still expecting to hold their graduation ceremony in the auditorium May 23, though MSMS Director for Academic Affairs Thomas Easterling said staff are developing a contingency plan if needed.
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