I write this letter, sitting with friends in the 7th floor corridor of Sleeper Hall, all of us in robes, blankets, scarves, and hats; essentially, bundled up for warmth in one of the only powered spaces on our floor. Just under an hour before I decided to write this letter, power was lost in several of our rooms, some of which have hardly been heated since January 10th. When one sophomore called our RHA office, he got the following response: “we have other things going on right now; we’ll get to it as soon as possible.” Today seems to have been a day filled with residence life problems. Earlier, an elevator in Sleeper Hall seemed to have slightly fallen to the second floor where it was stuck for at least a half hour. I have generally scoffed at the plaintive letters you have previously published, but tonight’s fiasco was the last straw. Having just begun my second semester at BU, I am now led to believe that at BU, the parties responsible for supplying the basic facilities that humans have become accustomed to during the past century (i.e. heat and electricity) do not care much for the welfare of the students. On a more personal note, my father is a superintendent. I have witnessed the work that goes into maintaining buildings (I cannot imagine the added load of hundreds of raucous college students) and I thank those B’G workers who go out in the cold to make sure the dorms are warm. I feel sorry that the brunt of the students’ grief usually falls on their shoulders. The cost of living at BU, however, is high, and for all of my parents’ hard-earned money, I expect at least a modicum of warmth. I hope I did not come off as whiny here, but I suppose frozen extremities can do that to a guy.
Nicholas Nikaj COM ’07 (917)714-6552 [email protected]