Students residing in Cunningham Hall at Neumann University have recently found themselves facing a laundry debacle, raising serious concerns about the safety and efficiency of the laundry facilities on campus.
Mid-September saw an unfortunate incident where a student’s clothes emerged from the laundry room washer burnt and scalding hot, prompting immediate alarm among fellow residents. Simultaneously, this reporter found herself encountering an array of error messages on all the dryers, leaving clothes sopping wet one weekend. The situation persisted when initial attempts to seek assistance hit a dead end.
The student affected by charcoaled clothing promptly reported the malfunction to the Residence Life office, only to be met with a discouraging response. A swift response from the maintenance team was expected, but instead, an email arrived, citing the unavailability of the person in charge. The Residence Life office claimed their hands were tied, leaving this student frustrated with no resolution and no clean clothes.
“I was definitely upset with their delayed response because it made me feel like they did not care about the situation,” claimed the student, who wishes to remain anonymous.
Another student claims that when she went to put her clothes in the dryer, there was only one working machine, “I put my laundry in this dryer, and after 20 minutes, I went down to the laundry room to see that someone had removed my clothes and put them in a broken dryer.”
The following day, this student put her clothes in a working dryer different from the first student, and was also disappointed to see that her clothes too were burnt.
“I went ResLife following the burnt clothes incident; however, they never followed up after my initial complaint”
NeuPress contacted the Office of Residence Life for a comment about the laundry situation but received no response.
Despite this initial setback, the resilient students persisted, and again reached out for assistance. After another attempt, they managed to secure a meeting with Chadwick Johnson, director of Residence Life. It was during this meeting that Fowler, the company responsible for Neumann University's laundry services, was identified as the entity to resolve the pressing issue.
Fowler's track record, however, was a cause for concern among students who live in Cunningham. Students reported that, in the previous academic year, the company’s response time left much to be desired, with prolonged downtimes and lingering issues. However, this time around, their response was swift. They promptly dispatched technicians to address the faulty dryers and made immediate improvements. In a proactive move, new machines were installed in the laundry room, aiming to prevent any future mishaps.
Neumann University had also implemented a cleaning schedule at the beginning of the semester, assuring students that washers and dryers would be thoroughly cleaned every Wednesday. However, the inconsistency in machine performance has left students wary, questioning the efficacy of the university's response to their concerns.
The student whose clothes were damaged by the washer expressed her satisfaction with the subsequent assistance received from the Residence Life office. The officials listened attentively, ensuring her concerns were duly noted. Despite the initial setbacks, the student felt heard and acknowledged, paving the way for a more constructive approach to future issues.
As Cunningham Hall and Neumann University as a whole grapple with these challenges, resident students believe that transparency and proactive measures are key in addressing such issues, ensuring the safety and well-being of all residents.
The incident serves as a stark reminder of the importance of timely maintenance and efficient communication between students and university administration.
Danica Pedone
