Housing workers try to do their best to accomodate students

By: Brandon Bussewitz

Posted: 9/25/08

I was returning to my job at housing maintenance here. As such, I was given a master key and made in charge of all the new student workers.

We students and our supervisors are easy to get along with and generally nice people all around. We go around campus fixing everything as best we can; making sure everything works, nothing is broken and nothing's dangerous.

As students do live in the dorms for summer, we go through those rooms as quickly and efficiently as possible. But someone this summer did not enjoy it and complained. So, we decided to skip occupied rooms until they move out. The higher-ups said we couldn't do that. So, they want us to do our jobs in the occupied rooms without going into them?

I don't see how the student crews are horrible and life-wrecking. True, the summer housing contract should be updated to look like the regular semester to reflect the no guarantee to privacy. We're not cruel about it. We make noise and give people time. We ask if its alright to come in and respect their property. We keep the door open so we're not 'hidden'. We work in pairs to get through efficiently and to keep an eye on each other. We clean up after ourselves. Our supervisors are constantly watching us. We're not a bunch of deviants going around messing stuff up.

Housing doesn't pay for every student's criminal background check to ignore them. Oh, and the moving around this summer was the action taken because of the complaints. I leave a warning to anyone who complains. Summer housing is a blessing to students. But if complaints continue, they may not offer free housing anymore to make summers work easier. It may not happen, but it could.

Brandon Bussewitz
senior
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