From late October to February, dorm buildings at Trinity went without the scheduled bi-monthly cleaning services. While the gap in service raised concerns among students, services resumed last week.
The recent lapse in scheduled cleaning services, which includes floor vacuuming and bathroom sanitation, left many students with hygiene concerns and disrupted routines. Students at Harold D. Herndon Hall, Robert R. Witt-Carlton R. Winn Hall, Albert Herff-Beze Hall, Bruce Thomas Hall and North Hall claimed to be affected by the issue.
The interruption prompted campus leaders to seek long-term solutions to prevent future disruptions. John De Hoyos, first-year urban studies major and SGA senator, said that his dorm hasn’t been serviced since November. He brought up the issue during last week’s SGA meeting. While he has yet to get in contact with Facilities Services, De Hoyos said he believes that the problem stems from Trinity’s use of a third-party company for cleaning services.
“I noticed these little darker shades within the cracks of the [shower] tiles, and I thought that was just how the bathroom looked,” De Hoyos said. “But recently, the cleaning services finally came, and when I looked, it was completely clean. It was mold this entire time.”
De Hoyos said that because of persistent respiratory issues, he bought an air purifier for his room. After his dorm was cleaned last week, he noticed that his symptoms began to alleviate.
“A lot of people have certain reactions to these things. It can really affect a student’s academic performance if they’re not feeling well,” De Hoyos said.
Despite his frustrations, De Hoyos expressed appreciation for the cleaning staff. The issue, now potentially resolved, has made the importance of consistent dorm maintenance clear.
“I’m still working with Residential Life to see how we can make sure this doesn’t happen again because I’m not the only student going through this,” De Hoyos said.
While future efforts are underway, students expressed concern at how the situation has been handled. Abigail Salizar, first-year biochemistry major, said that Witt-Winn Hall hasn’t been cleaned since late October. She had to buy supplies to clean the dorm after winter break.
“I know it’s not a big deal,” Salazar said. “But I feel like if they said they’re going to clean every two weeks, they should actually do it.”
Siany Pastol, first-year human French and communication double-major, said that cleaning services didn’t clean Herndon Hall for three months. She said that not having her floor cleaned was especially frustrating.
Pastol said she initially believed that her dorm’s prolonged lack of service was an isolated situation, potentially because she wasn’t meeting cleaning service requirements. It wasn’t until after winter break that the issue became apparent, as her floors remained especially dirty.
“They did outline their expectations for … clearing off your countertop,” Pastol said. “But that shouldn’t affect giving us things that are necessary, you know?”
* Facilities Services declined to comment on this issue.
