Shortly after winter break, on Jan. 5, part of the ceiling in the student store collapsed, temporarily forcing the store to close. According to Vice Principal Sean Murray, the incident was caused by a burst pipe that pushed water against the ceiling tiles until they gave away and fell into the store. Approximately six tiles fell during the incident. There wasn’t too much damage, and the rooms above it were not affected. 

There was an initial concern that the fallen materials could be toxic, so the room was shut down to be tested; however, the test results later came back negative. Murray also confirmed that none of the precious food sold in the student store was affected. 

District facility workers have already fixed the pipe issue, and the school worked on covering the hole in the ceiling, and the student store reopened on Jan. 30.  While the total cost of the repairs is unknown, Murray stated that the money from the student store was not used to pay for the damage.  

After the ceiling incident, student store teacher Lureena Weesner decided to move the food and drinks sold at the student store over to Grover’s Grinds, where they just had coffee and other drinks, but now they have many more drinks. Also, with the student store moving temporarily, Grovers Grinds was open not just during first and fifth period, but also lunch. Many people were happy about this temporary move because they had access to the beverages offered at Grover’s Grinds during lunch.

While the ceiling collapse caused an unexpected disruption, the situation was handled quickly and safely, with no injuries or lasting damage. With repairs completed and the student store now reopened, things are returning to normal. The incident serves as a reminder that even sudden setbacks can be managed smoothly with prompt action and cooperation.