No, it wasn't a devastating act of nature like Hurricane Isabel that brought rising waters to the Homewood campus bookstore on Sunday night, Jan. 11. It was a burst sprinkler pipe that sprayed inches of water over merchandise in the store, located in the basement of Gilman Hall. Campus security and the city Fire Department responded immediately to the system's alarm, but water still seeped its way into the hallway where the U.S. Post Office and M&T Bank branches are located. Manager Paul Lynch said the Book Center would be closed through Jan. 19 but would be ready for the back-to-school rush in two weeks. "This is a relatively quiet time for us to have an interruption of service," he said, referring to intersession.

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