Decaying dorms and rotten residence halls

Last semester, freshman Anne Marie Olesky and her roommate sent several complaints to the maintenance department concerning the state of their dorm room in Havey Hall.
“There were bubbles all over the ceiling. It leaked all over my roommate’s bed,” said Olesky.

By Jessie Krehlik

Staff Writer

Last semester, freshman Anne Marie Olesky and her roommate sent several complaints to the maintenance department concerning the state of their dorm room in Havey Hall.
“There were bubbles all over the ceiling. It leaked all over my roommate’s bed,” said Olesky.

She and her roommate even had to keep a special garbage can in their room to catch the water whenever it rained. They filled out several reports before finally moving into a new room. Two other students took their place, and according to Olesky, maintenance didn’t fix the leak for them either. Freshman Tony Greendoner never had to deal with leaks in his Brownlee room, but remembers the squeaky doors and lack of heating.

Unfortunately, these are not an isolated incidents but commonplace occurrences in residence halls like Brownlee and Havey. Perhaps as a testament to how far gone Havey Hall is, there is a rumor that the Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine may demolish it in order to build a new science facility.

According to Robin Anke, director of residence life, there are currently no official plans demolish Havey within the next year and that new campus housing would be constructed if it did occur. “It is not that Havey is beyond repair, but it is certainly not capable of housing a science program, considering all of the technical aspects that will be needed,” said Anke. “It will continue to serve as a residence hall for at least another year.”

Most renovations to the dorms take place over the summer, because they are typically unused at that time. “Concerning the students [who] feel the halls are in need of repairs, I would like to know specifically what they are talking about so I can address it with the correct departments,” Anke said.