Airing it Out:I Issues rise between students and Residential Life & Housing

Howard University recently went viral after students began speaking out about their dissatisfaction with the campus living experience. Shortly after, attendees of other colleges and universities around the United States begin sharing their horror student housing experiences. Students from Southern University have begun sharing their own after concerns pertaining to maintenance and upkeep in the on-campus residential halls.
Creatures creeping up and down the halls, possible mold or mildew living within the vents, and a foul stench with unknown origins(although a blow dryer might have been the cause) occupying one of the buildings: While this may sound like something directly out of a horror movie, scenes like the ones described are frighteningly ordinary for students living at Bradford Hall on Southern University’s campus. Reports such as these are just a fraction of what residents in the hall experience. “I shouldn’t use the hall bathroom in fear for my life because of a roach coming to get me. Why isn’t anything being done?” asked Kiara Johnson, a nursing student from Shreveport, Louisiana.
This is the same question being raised by other Bradford residents such as Beverly Watkins, a Baton Rouge native majoring in criminal justice says, “I contacted maintenance about a week ago concerning the rodent issue. I never lived with roaches in my life. I came to college, and suddenly I’m roommates with them. It’s disgusting.”
With growing concerns of mold, the Southern Digest contacted Deron Smith, owner and operator of DLS Construction & Remediation LLC, which sanitizes all the residential halls and also performs mold remediation by request of the university. “Some of it is mold, but most of it is mildew that students think is mold,” he claims. In his words, the difference between mold and mildew is that “Mildew is just dirt, but it can turn into mold if it’s not taken care of in a timely fashion.”
Even with concerns of mold and mildew, Tracie Abraham suggests that students submit a maintenance request. In doing so, the maintenance staff will then review and determine whether further action is required. “The students receive an email to respond back to whether or not the maintenance request had been completed or not. Most students don’t respond whether they have received the proper service or not.”
However, investigation during the time of the interview showed that the emails sent to students do not ask about the completion of maintenance requests, but instead inform students that a member of maintenance was assigned the request.
If students are having maintenance issues, “your point-of-contact should be the Hall Director,” said Abraham. The Hall Director then should contact Ernest Bowman or Hammond for the maintenance request for completion.
“The dormitories with community restrooms are sanitized at least 3 times a week,” said A brahms. As far as students’ bedrooms and bathrooms are concerned, Abraham discussed why students’ dorm rooms are not sanitized as frequently. “We don’t sanitize daily in the residence halls (dorm rooms) because students have to have some level of responsibility during COVID to keep their areas clean.”
Verification of sanitization can be seen in certain dorms and apartments in the manner of “Certificates of Sanitization.” This is done by DLS Construction & Remediation LLC. “All of the units have been sanitized over the Christmas break. They have been sprayed down and sanitized for mold and other things such as COVID-19.”
Abraham offered this piece of advice to the students. “Take pride in where you stay. Let’s all work together and do our part to make this better.” By working together, both the student body and housing personnel can make campus housing a clean place to live for all students and staff.