Cleanliness ofdormitory halls is a concern of the people who live on campus and Director ofResidential Housing, Marilyn Hill. Many of those who live on campus question what work custodians do.Whether it is refurbishing during the summer months or bathroom and common areaclean up, during the semester cleaning does happen according to the SouthernUniversity Department of Housing.
“Thecustodians and I try to maintain a level of cleanliness at all times,” Hillsaid.
During thesummer, starting in May when students leave and dormitory halls are vacated,general cleaning begins. This is athorough cleaning of all dormitories and facilities, including closets’windows, and floors.
”This is the main time that we are ableto make a complete cleaning,” said V. Benjamin, assistant custodial supervisor. “From mopping to stripping and waxingto dusting, we do it all.”
This is alsothe time when repainting and reupholstering of furniture is done.
According to Hill, last summer over onemillion dollars was spent on refurbishing, repairs, and renovations in alldormitory halls. Furniture alone can cost over $3,000, not including additionalcosts for bedding and frames.
Every academicyear the housing department drafts a new agenda comprised of certain areas thatneed work. The agenda for this upcoming summer includes upgrades in the air andheating systems in Bethune and Gradison and the boilers in Satterwhite andCarol halls. Also, painting touch-ups for Totty and Shade halls.
During thesemester, it is routine for Bethune, Washington, Bradford, and Grandison halls’communal showering facilities to be cleaned daily, while Totty and Shade halls’residents are expected to clean these areas themselves. In Boley and Jones halls, bathroomareas are supposed to be cleaned daily by maintenance employees and trash is tobe taken out by them as well. These and other dormitories have bathroomfacilities used by lesser people than those in Bethune, Washington, Bradfordand Grandison halls.
To ensureproper maintenance is done, Hill periodically tours facilities to make certainthey are kept up to housing standards.
The onlydifference between the cleaning during the summer session and the fall andspring sessions is the cleaning of individual rooms, which are to be cleanedduring the semester by the students residing in them.
Roominspections are requested of residential assistants once a week, to helpmaintain all areas.
As far ascleaning goes, janitors are only to do the bathrooms and clean other commonareas. It is up to students toreport vandalism and keep their personal spaces clean.
Some studentsagree that they have the primary responsibility of keep their dormitories intact.
“I feel thatwe are given responsibility and that this is good because we are supposed to begrown men and women and we should not expect someone to clean after us,” saidRonetta McCoy, a sophomore rehabilitation major from DeQuincy. “It’s ourresponsibility.”
Other studentshowever feel that the level of cleaning is not high enough and have no problemvoicing how they feel.
“We have a lotof excess trash in our bathroom,” said Keoshia Hornsby, a freshman educationmajor from Amite. ” I feel theyaren’t doing their jobs and that they should clean our showers and bathroomsmore often.”
Hill said shemaintains an open door policy so that any students with concerns can feel freeto go to her directly.
