As of Sept. 30, some north campus residence halls were stripped of waste management services. University employees used to collect the trash from trash rooms in the Norton, Scott and Archer complex, but now students are being told to take their trash to dumpsters outside of Neilwood Gables.

The change is “to be a little more efficient, said Martha Hoff from Facilities Operations and Development. “It’s more efficient to collect from a dumpster than two men manually lifting trash.”

“I do know there was some miscommunication with staff with letting students know about the change,” Hoff said.
Housing officials also say that cutting waste management is for financial gain.

“This actually is a cost saving effect for housing and with those savings we can complete much needed renovation projects in our halls and keep our technology current to benefit all students who live with us now and who will live with us in the future,” said Jamie Harty, the residence hall director for the complex, in an e-mail to Scott House residents.

Many students, such as Katy Edwards, disagree with the decision because students were not consulted.

“For students like ourselves, living in the dorms for just a year, we’re not seeing the results of our money,” the fourth-year in marketing and Scott House resident said.

Edwards said the change has sparked the creation of Facebook groups and posters protesting the decision.

“I wish there was a more democratic way to make these kinds of decisions,” she said.

Housing made it clear to Scott residents that students would not be part of the decision process.

“I have heard of much discontent from this change, and I do understand that it is something different that needs to still be gotten used to. The fact remains that this practice will not change,” Harty said.

Harty sent the e-mail in response to the sight of trash filling the hallways, saying it was “tacky, it smelled bad and it was a general disgrace for Scott House.”

With around 300 residents in the complex, and trash being taken out less frequently, overflow is bound to happen, Edwards said. The dumpster “is considered a different complex… it’s not ridiculously far, but it’s pretty standard that most dorms have trash rooms on their floors, and the fact is we don’t even have one in our building.”

This will change, as the removal of waste management will spread to all residence halls.

“The entire University Housing system is transitioning over to ALL residence halls taking out their own trash,” Harty said in the e-mail.
Thyrone Henderson, assistant director of Student Life, and Abby Kruszynski, assistant hall director, were unavailable for comment.