A Newell Hall staircase remains closed after a glass panelon the second floor of the study centershattered.
The panel was found broken at about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, Associate Dean of Students SevaPriya Barrier said. No one was injured, but the staircase below the panel was closed after the broken panel was reported. The reason for the break is unknown, but it was not an act of vandalism, Barrier said
“We are waiting for a temporary solution because we want to make sure that everyone is safe,” Barrier said.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the panel was secured with plywood, UF spokesperson Steve Orlando said. The panel is expected to be replaced within the next week.
It will cost about $1,000 to replace, and it is unclear how it will be paid for at this time, Orlando said. If the panel broke because of a manufacturing defect, then the manufacturer may pay for the replacement.
Kevin Ward, an 18-year-old graphic design freshman, spent his afternoon sitting on the staircase between the third and fourth floors of the building.
“I had to walk up to the second floor,” Ward said. “It’s a little out of the way but not that big of a deal.”
Contact Gillian Sweeney at gsweeney@alligator.org and follow her on Twitter at @gilliangsweeney
Broken glass at Newell Hall
