Concordia College campus closes, sends students home

MOORHEAD - Concordia College officials decided Thursday night the campus would close today, creating a problem for students who don't have a place to go.

A group of about 30 students, many of them international students, met with officials late Thursday to discuss options.

The students, who must be off campus by 2 p.m. today, were told if they could not make it to their family homes they could stay with area families willing to take them.

If those options aren't available, students will be allowed to stay at Concordia's Language Villages.

Concordia President Pam Jolicoeur said officials don't expect the campus to flood.

"We simply have to take the extra measure of precaution for the students," she said.

Lara Alexis, a freshman from Baltimore, said she had no place to go, since a relative's home in the area is flooding.

Likely bound for one of the language villages, she packed a purple suitcase with a number of necessities as well as a textbook, so she could keep studying.

"It's a little stressful," she said of the evacuation.

Samal Mahanama, a sophomore from Sri Lanka, agreed, stating some people are nervous about having to leave.

"I have friends who are just going nuts," said Mahanama, who added campus officials have been very helpful.

"They're taking good care of us," he said.