"Not long ago, a college dormitory was just a place to eat and sleep ... Now college students live in residence halls - vital, alive places that include lounges, study rooms, fitness areas and a feeling of community," states the 2002 to 2003 Guide Book to Residence Hall Living. "A significant effort is made to provide an environment that enhances personal growth and development."
Oh, really? Students living in the residence halls usually have a list of complaints as long as the line for Ron's sandwiches in Putnam's. Some of these grievances are petty and exaggerated (such as: It took three weeks to replace the light bulb in my UB-provided lamp), while others are more serious. University Residence Halls and Apartments supply an online work order form for students to file these complaints - a service I have used, but to little avail.
Several times since around last October, I have filed work orders for numerous things to be repaired or replaced in my hall. Once, I noticed a light bulb was changed, but a week later it blew out again and has yet to be replaced. Of the many things I've filed complaints on are a dark corridor connecting two buildings, ill-lighted hallways, broken locks on bathroom stalls, non-heating dryers, non-rinsing washing machines, and perhaps most irritating, unreadable knobs on my stove (which inevitably leads to burned food) and perpetually cold water in the shower.
Director of Residence Halls and University Apartments Joseph Krakowiak was not available for comment by press time.
While it is understandable that University Residence Halls and Apartments cannot possibly handle every request from the over 5,000 students residing in the 15 residence halls that comprise UB's dorm system, I think that over the course of a month, the hallways could be made safe, since only a light bulb is required to do so.
According to the Residence Hall Guide Book, once placed, "a work order will be generated and a tradesperson will respond to your request by the next business day to assess a repair." If someone actually did assess some of the items on my work order, I cannot imagine why weeks later they have not been rectified.
Obviously, they are not a "Priority 1" work order, which covers only emergencies such as floods, power outages and lack of heat, but they do fall under the "Priority 2" category, which encompasses "common area components." After that comes "Priority 3," which covers painting and screens, among other "elective maintenance."
With approximately 11 single rooms on my floor (not including the resident advisor's room) and six triples, UB makes around $117,400 off of my floor per year. And by year, I mean the seven months that are otherwise referred to as the "academic year." Next year, the residence hall rates are jumping by about $200 per student per year, too. Maybe then UB will be able to afford light bulbs.
The problem, however, is not that UB cannot afford the bulbs. The problem lies in the fact that UB does not consider itself a landlord and its residents as tenants - despite the ridiculous amount of rent we're paying. With all that money (made off only one floor), one would think stove knobs that are obviously old and very worn could be replaced relatively speedily.
But the dorms are obviously going to be filled each year - with least one hundred students waitlisted - and the money will keep coming in no matter what, so why does it matter if student complaints go unanswered?
Without a doubt, University Residence Halls and Apartments will attribute the increased rates to the ever-rising utility costs and students leaving their computers on around the clock. So maybe that's why they're not replacing the light bulbs. I wonder how much could be saved by lighting only every other fixture in Ellicott or Goodyear.
According to the Residence Hall Guide Book, the "specific expectations for departmental staff" are to "continue to make facilities more energy efficient," to "monitor energy use" and to "plan to upgrade to more efficient and self-sustaining systems." Someone should tell the residence hall administration the difference between having efficient and non-existent systems.
The things that are fixed as soon as they are noticed - things like graffiti, kicked in garbage cans, and ripped lounge furniture - are surprisingly things the students are charged for under the Common Area Damage Program.
Last week, I got home at around 3 a.m. - not from a night of drinking, but from The Spectrum - and wanted to use the kitchen sink in the hall lounge on my floor. The door, however, was locked, and there is only one reason why it could have been. Earlier in the week, someone spilled (a lot of) marinara sauce on the stove. After letting it fester for about a week, I guess the cleaning woman wanted to teach us a lesson, so the door was locked. (Edit Note: I've had a better cleaning staff this year than any other during my time in the residence halls.) But despite the fact that college-aged students should be able to clean up their own mess, they're still paying for a package that includes a kitchen, and that should not be taken away.
So despite what the Guide says, the dorms really are just a place to eat and sleep. In no way are they vital or cared for, and if a significant effort is made to foster "an environment that enhances personal growth and development," the students are missing it, or at least I am.
