chapel's spire was toppled by the tornado, which left most of St. Peter, Minnesota in ruins. On March 17, 2008, the cross atop the spire was hung from the chapel's ceiling during a service marking the 10th anniversary of the tornado.
=== Disasters ===
On January 8, 1970, the Auditorium was completely gutted by a fire, after which it was not rebuilt.
On March 29, 1998, the college's campus was hit by a mile-wide F3 tornado that broke 80 percent of the windows, leveled nearly 2,000 trees, toppled the chapel's spire, and caused more than $50 million in damages. This is considered one of the most expensive college disasters in history. There was only one death (not a Gustavus student) despite the tornado's widespread path, most likely because most students were away on spring break then. Hundreds of volunteers worked to get the campus back where the students could return after a three-week hiatus. Still, some classes were held in FEMA trailers as some campus buildings were too severely damaged.
== Campus life …
