Housing fails enforcement of process
Campus Times
December 4, 1998
cartoon by Stephanie Lesniak
A new housing policy was put into effect for Thanksgiving break, or
as the Office of Housing and Residential Life calls it, a continuous policy
finally being followed through on. Many students, particularly in the Oaks
Residence Hall, were upset about having to justify why they needed to remain
in their room over the break. The flyers hung on residents' doors implied
that students must submit a good enough reason to the Housing office to
excusably stay in the Oaks during the break. Whose place is it to judge
reasons? Well, after all of the upheaval, this policy never even took full
effect.
Supposedly the flyers and submissions with reasons were necessary in
order "to keep track of who is going to be here during the break,"
said Laura Lopez, area coordinator in the Nov. 20 Campus Times. "We
are looking into the future as in prevention [of potential problems or emergencies]."
It was made clear that red check-out flyers were to be filled out by
residents, signed and left on the outside of residents' doors for the Housing
staff to review. This would allow Housing to keep track of who remained
in the dorms, for emergency purposes, right?
Wrong. Residents returned last Sunday thoroughly confused of this new
safety procedure. Some found their red check-out flyers still taped to their
doors, while others who had never planned on staying received written messages
from Housing letting them know that they had been approved to stay over
Thanksgiving break. In other words, Housing, in actuality, was disorganized
and had no clue who actually did and did not stay during the Thanksgiving
break.
The purpose of keeping track in case of emergencies was defeated, thrown
out the window. So, if there had been a fire, earthquake, hurricane, tornado,
bombing or any other life-threatening event, students could have been dead
or alive and Housing may never have known the difference.
We have learned just this semester with the Davenport Dining Hall fire
that emergencies do happen. The reasoning for this process was good, but
the follow-through lacked.
It is not to say that Housing is responsible for keeping track of residents.
They are grown adults and it is impossible to know where every resident
will be at any given moment. The point is that this procedure of students
submitting reasons as to why they are staying had no purpose whatsoever.
Students were also falsely threatened with a $25 fine for staying without
permission. Who would have ever known?
It was a waste of time to create or enforce a procedure that did nothing
but cause distress and anger residence. If Housing has got so much time
on its hands, how about working on things like de-tripling rooms and answering
residential complaints such as missing or broken screens on windows and
faulty electrical outlets. Need more ideas? How about fixing three-week
clogged toilets, making sure the vending machines are filled and attempting
to have quarter machines installed in the residence halls?
There are things that need more attention than why Bob, Joe and Mary
are not going home for Christmas. After all, are the dorms not considered
our "home" two-thirds of the year?
