Following an afternoon thunderstorm in Pensacola on Sunday, August 24th, Campus Bookstore Manager Rachel Leuenberger was called to assess flooding at 6:27 p.m. When she arrived, Auxiliary and Facilities staff were already on-site working. Since the fall term was starting the next day, she stayed until 10:30 p.m., moving fixtures, books, and shelving. The front 30 feet of the store were affected by the flooding.
Leuenberger reported minimal damage to merchandise, with only 50 pieces—including hoodies, sweatshirts, and men’s pajama pants—needing to be written off.
On Monday, August 25th, the first day of the fall term, Leuenberger and her team coordinated with The Commons and Auxiliary staff to send mass emails to students. The bookstore would not open until 12:00 p.m., with only course materials and supplies available for purchase. They were still processing web orders and opened for pick-up only at 9:00 a.m.
While waiting for the floor to dry, the apparel section was cordoned off. Leuenberger wanted to make sure students had what they needed for the “white out” football game. On Thursday, August 28th, the apparel area reopened, and all white clothing was moved to the front of the store.
By Friday night, Leuenberger and the bookstore staff were set up with their tent and merchandise at the first football game of the season, sharing smiles and school spirit with everyone.
Leuenberger stated that their main goal throughout the ordeal was to take care of the students, a commitment that was evidenced by the resilience shown by all 15 bookstore staff members.
This was not the first flooding incident at the bookstore. A similar event occurred on March 30, 2025, after a thunderstorm. Leuenberger was called in at 6:30 p.m. that day as well. The bookstore was closed all week in March while waiting for the floors to dry. Since it was graduation week, the bookstore set up a pop-up in The Commons from Wednesday to Friday.
Bookstore Hours and Promotions
The bookstore offers web orders with free in-store pickup. You can also get 10% off your first transaction when you sign up for the bookstore’s email list.
Regular Hours:
- Monday – Thursday: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
- Friday: 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
- Saturday: 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. (during the school year)
