Rain drenches campus and students

Weather you love it or hate it, the rain is hitting the beach.

As the rain falls down Cal State University Long Beach students break out their umbrellas in an attempt to stay dry in the rainy February weather. Some students are saying that the rain has proven to be too much; they prefer the comfort of their own home to a classroom.

“I personally love the rain,” said CSULB senior Scott Stark-Staple “I just wish more people would come to school [when it’s raining].” A significant decrease in student attendance yesterday could be noticed in classes and around campus.

With Southern California well known for it’s blue sky and warm weather, the rain comes as an unwanted surprise for many students.

“I extremely dislike the rain, I don’t like how I live in Long Beach and it’s raining,” said freshman Business management major Aylse Masterpolo. “I moved to Long Beach for a reason and that’s because there is no rain.”

Many students were concerned about how they were going to stay dry on their way to class, but university administration is focused on keeping the students safe in the rain.

“We haven’t had any reports of falls or people being stranded or equipment failure. Things have been going pretty smoothly,” said University Chief of Police Stan Skipworth early Monday afternoon. “We’re thrilled right now.”

With the continuous rainfall CSULB seems to be holding strong, with a few minor exceptions.

The University Student Union had to set up large trashcans to catch water leaking from the roof, and the Physical Education building at the East Gym also endured similar problems.

“We needed to keep the water off the hardwood floor to prevent damage,” said Robert Quirk, director of Physical Planning and Facilities Management. “Water and hardwood floors don’t mix well.”

Quirk said, however that there has been no major damage to the campus, aside from the minor leakages and minimal flooding around certain buildings. In order to begin repair drier weather and adequate funds are needed.

“Our staff is working on fixing the leak[s],” Quirk said.

CSULB maintenance staff works towards maintaining the campus for more rainy days to come by checking drainage systems and laying out sandbags.

Joanne Tucker contributed to this article.