University theme houses are deteriorating and conditions are becoming unlivable. Theme houses are located on the edge of campus and provide alternate living arrangements for students who want to live with other students of similar passions. Recently, theme house coordinators have met to discuss the conditions of their houses.
Coordinators from various houses met on Feb. 21 to figure out a plan moving forward to address recent damages and problems in their respective houses. Kate Angus ’20, a house coordinator, couldn’t attend the meeting, but was sure to voice the problems in her house. “I live in the Dub, and we have mice, some of the floors are warped, our bathroom ceiling was moldy. However, after sending in some work requests, some of the problems have been fixed” said Angus.
There are several other houses that face worse problems. Bat poop, soft spots in the floor, moldy walls, leaky bedroom ceilings, and lack of hot water are just a few of these problems. “I toured a theme house earlier this year and ultimately decided not to live there because the walls smelled and the carpets looked like they had black mold growing under them,” said Conner Lambert ’22.
St. Lawrence advertises each theme house as a unique living opportunity that will foster personal growth in and out of the classroom. While students do leave their houses with positive experiences, poor living conditions is putting unnecessary stress on everyday life. “If two people are in the shower at the same time, one of them will get cold water. A cold shower is not enjoyable before bed,” said Sophia Alvarez, ‘21. It’s difficult for facilities to fully fix problems during the semester, creating very temporary fixes for damages. “I was living in La Casa fall semester and my bathroom on the first floor had a soft spot. They sealed up the corner that was soft but the smell was still there,” said Alvarez.
Some of the damages in houses can be associated with student recklessness, however most damages are related to the age of the houses. Kayla Schlenz, Residential Coordinator, is in charge of meeting with theme house coordinators to combat these problems. “Theme houses are more finicky to fix as far as damages are concerned because they’re old houses,” said Schlenz.
Students notice the houses deteriorating with age. “You can tell when the houses have been damaged by students and when the house is just genuinely old. The problem is that the houses themselves are decaying,” said Alvarez. The upkeep of theme houses isn’t enough when the houses themselves are deteriorating naturally with age. Work order requests can be submitted to report damages. Schlenz notes that forms can be found online and be filed by house coordinators. Additionally, follow up meetings can be made with her to ensure that all damages are being properly handled.