To hear what some freshmen are experiencing with the residential halls at Keene State College is absolutely absurd. Sure, some of these halls have character in the dark wooden closets with no door attached, but at what point does the character affect the functionality of the room and of the student?
For KSC freshman Brittany Dickison it has affected her first-hand. She lives on the D-side of Carle Hall, the oldest side in the building. In her room there are different locks, different lights, different furniture, but the same price tag as other students living on sides A, B and C. The locks are turned manually, compared to the keypad on other floor doors. Flickering vanity and small box lights try to brighten the room, compared to an overhead light. The furniture is nailed to the floor and provides little moving space. However, on the other side of Carle, students are equipped with newer furniture and have more up-to-date features in their room and even a working shower as well.
Since the beginning of the school year, Dickison said that she has not had steady hot water. For a while, students living on the D-side had to take freezing-cold showers, she said. Dickison said the water would be so cold in the morning that it began to actually hurt. She said some girls washed their hair in sink. For some time, Dickison said she was directed to shower on the other side of the building, making it necessary for residents to travel down a flight of stairs and through the lobby in a towel. The crowded rooms also leave leverage for crowded bathrooms. According to the KSC Residential Life website, the cost of a double, triple, or quad room in Carle Hall is $2,945 a semester and $5,890 a year.
The total cost for Dickisons D-side room is $11,780 for her roommate and herself, nearly $12,000 for a room that is outdated and a floor bathroom that is frequently out of service. This is unacceptable. These students on the D-side are paying the same amount of money living in Carle as the other sides who are receiving better quality furnishings and functioning bathrooms. Dickison said others and herself have been in touch with the Residential Director for Carle and plan to propose they are guaranteed better dormitories for next year. The irritation, more than anything, bothers Dickison.
Either decrease the cost for these students living on the D-side of Carle Hall or renovate the dormitories on campus equally for all freshmen students. Furnishings should not interfere with the success of the student at KSC. When something is broken, it needs to be fixed. Advice on where to start: the D-side of Carle.
Brittany Murphy can be contacted at opinions@keene-equinox.com