The purpose of the articles in the Opinions and Editorials section is to give students a chance to speak their mind about particular issues that are bothering them. Some may see it simply as a place where we’re free to whine and complain about whatever we want. That being said, this is not an editorial about getting better lunchmeat or that there isn’t enough parking on campus. Those issues have been visited and revisited over and over again and sometimes we just have to accept that things aren’t so bad here, in fact, we have it better compared to a lot of other state schools.
That is, unless someone is trying to take a shower. As residents of the White Mountain Apartment Complex, we were disgusted to find upon turning on our showers that the tub quickly filled with reddish/brown water back in October. The people at Centre Lodge claimed that the residue was a result of the recent construction on campus and we were told to let the water in the tub and the sink run for 20 minutes before using it.
It is now December and the dirty water has come and gone every now and then. However, several staff members can say from personal experience that recent attempts to shower in the apartments, the same inconvenience has occurred.
Normally, we wouldn’t be complaining about some issue in the apartments, but this is water- a basic human necessity. How are we supposed to feel comfortable bathing in, let alone drinking water that is obviously the furthest thing from clean?
Let’s leave out the whole part about not having clean running water. What adds to the frustration is the fact that after the water finally does start running clean, there is a film that is left, which can only be removed by scrubbing the tub. If it is not cleaned out, the floor of the shower becomes extremely slippery, as noted by someone who themselves did an accidental split upon entering the residue filled tub.
Then there’s the issue of having to let the water run until it is clean. For students with full class loads, extra-curriculars and jobs, having to stand around and watch water run for 20 minutes is annoying to say the least. Also, isn’t Plymouth supposed to be “Going Green?” We are not exactly sure how much water is used in a 20-minute time span, but we’re guessing Al Gore would disapprove.
In addition, the “reassurance” we received from Centre Lodge was anything but. They blamed “sedimentary stuff” for the color of the water and acted as if it were no big deal that our tub looked like a scene from Psycho. They also told us that they had received multiple complaints from WMAC residents, and that this was “normal.” We’re sorry; we thought this was a university, not a third world country. Since when is it normal to have water that is practically mud coming through your shower head?
There are many parts of PSU that have improved as of lately due to the wrapping up of a lot of the major construction projects that took over the campus last year. While the new brick walkways between Hyde and Smith are quite lovely, we would just like to ask that the bare essentials be functioning before cosmetic developments take place. The Clock Staff would rather listen to students complain that the campus isn’t pretty enough than hear about the daily dose of dirty water.
-The Clock Staff