“Take out the papers and the trash, or you don’t get no spendin’ cash,” has become the phrase that pays when it comes to the ongoing trash problem at the Townhouses.
Due to excessive garbage, Laura Cantrell, associate director of Residence Life, sent out a memo to all Townhouse residents regarding the problem and informing them that they will be assessed a total fine of no more than $4500 for the most current incident.
After all the possible fines, what is a student to do? “Get all that garbage out of sight, or you don’t go out Friday night. Yakety yak,” according to the Coasters’ famous oldies’ song.
“There has been some heinous stuff that had to be picked up,” Cantrell said. “Students need to take some pride in the area up there.”
Garbage is picked up by the Kennedy Center, a center for mentally challenged adults and by Campus Operations.
“This is not the image we want them to take away from Fairfield University,” Cantrell said.
“If students can’t remove the garbage, we have to do it,” said Gary Stephenson, director of Housing. “Walk your garbage to the dumpsters.”
The biggest problem is the excessive amount of trash, piled out in front of the dumpsters, which may accrue a $40,000 total fine by the end of the school year.
According to the Department of Residence Life, there have been three instances where trash has been piled in front of dumpsters, when the dumpsters were actually empty.
Students complain, however, that the dumpsters are constantly full, and there is nowhere to throw the trash.
“The university should realize that with an extra person living in each townhouse this year that there will be more garbage,” Rich Gruffi, ’03, said. “They should add more dumpsters. The garbage has to go somewhere.”
Cantrell admits the fine is a “little excessive,” but she is trying to gain cooperation from students.
“I wanted to take a proactive approach with community damage,” Cantrell said. “If this type of situation is continued at the same rate, and if all the bills are correct, then we’re talking $73 a person at most.”
The $4500 fine, however, is still under negotiation, according to Gary Stephenson.
After an agreement between Campus Operations and the Department of Residence Life to fine students for the trash problem, Campus Operations sent a bill to the Department of Residence Life. Included in this bill is what seems to be the hourly rate for collecting the garbage, in addition to a fine set by Campus Operations.
According to Stephenson, it is not the responsibility of Campus Operations to allocate certain fines to students. Fines can only be determined and set forth by the Dean of Students.
“Fines come from the Office of the Dean of Students,” Stephenson said. “It is this office that is responsible to charge fines to students because we deal with student behavior. It is not up to Campus Operations to decide on fines for students. We are having them resubmit the bill to us.”
Upon the collection of fines, the money goes directly into student programs, according to Stephenson, which is another reason why only the Dean of Students can collect money.
“Otherwise, there is an accountability issue,” Stephenson said. “Where would the money go then? We put it right back into student programs.”
Officials say that students need to be conscious of their living area and to clean up after themselves. “If you see a red cup on the ground, you can pick it up,” Cantrell noted.
Students should police each other as a community and share the responsibility to fix the behavior, said Stephenson.
Some students recognize that even that is not a good alternative.
“It’s not my responsibility or even sanitary to clean up after each other,” Gruffi said. “Have the townhouse managers or Security monitor the areas. They have the authority to take further action…not me. I don’t have the right to tell others what to do.”
Some students argue that the university has not taken interest in the townhouse area.
“When we moved in, dry leaves and dirt were in the basement,” Meghan Powers ’04 said. “One bedroom door was completely off the hinges.”
“If the university doesn’t take interest in our living area, then where is our drive to do the same?” Gruffi ’03 said. “The university should take more pride with presenting us a place to live.”
Cantrell admitted that they are a few flaws in the system, but efforts are being made to correct them. Time management and an increase in a maintenance work force are all in the plans to improve living conditions throughout the whole university.
“Help me out,” Cantrell said. “Let me know if there are problems or if you have any ideas.”
“We pay a lot of money to go here,” Gruffi said. “It’s great that the university guarantees us four years of housing and I enjoy the independent living at the townhouses, but the administration needs to get on the ball a little bit.”
Townhouse residents continually complain about rats and other animals rustling around near the townhouses. These animals are probably hunting through leftover garbage surrounding the areas, according to the Department of Residence Life.
“This summer we cleaned up the brush so the animals can’t hide,” according to Stephenson. “There are animals lurking around because people are not walking garbage to the dumpsters.”
“No one should have to pick up other people’s garbage,” Stephenson said. “It’s easy to pick up after yourself.”
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