Contributing Writer | Leeann Sanon
The current students of Panther Hall seem to be overreacting to what is being called the “laundry room issue”. The laundry room is a highly contested environment. The place where students should maintain the most decorum seems to be the place where they argue the most.
The current order of the laundry room is to remove unclaimed clothing from the machines and place it on top of the machines. Instead of following this process, many students tend to use the Panther Hall group chat to complain rather than solving the issue themselves. In January, an argument ensued over the actions that should be taken to address residents leaving their laundry unattended in the machines.
Many students have suggested hiring a laundry room attendant to maintain order. Others have suggested restricting access to the laundry room to certain floors on certain days. Neither of these ideas would work for the residents of Panther Hall. A laundry room attendant would still face the “issue” of students forgetting to take their clothes out; their only role would be to ensure that all clothes are placed upon the machines, which the residents can do themselves. Hiring a laundry room attendant is not only unnecessary but also impractical considering that FIU likely does not have the resources to hire one. Restricting laundry room access would cause more chaos because the residents would be competing to do laundry in a designated time slot. The most logical idea presented when discussing this “problem” is having a bin in the laundry room where unclaimed clothes can be placed. This trivial “issue” should not be so sensationalized.
Zarah, a resident of Panther Hall, said that the consequences of removing unclaimed clothing from the laundry machines are enough action and that no other measures should be taken to address the “laundry room issue”.
Removing the overdue clothes from the machines is the logical next step to the situation. This is a completely normal reaction to other residents’ irresponsibility. Students being irresponsible is not a foreign concept. There is no need for unnecessary consequences.
The laundry room is a reflection of the residents. This need for action is inconceivable considering that all residents’ halls experience unkept laundry rooms. I have personally visited other laundry facilities on campus, specifically Lakeview Hall where similar events occur in their laundry rooms. The difference is the reaction to these “situations.” It is part of the college experience to be frustrated by your peer’s behavior; this does not equate to supervisory involvement being a necessity. All in all, students need to adjust their standards for dorm life.
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