The Map Hill Elevator Saga 2

Good Morning,

This morning I was alerted to the condition of the elevator with regards to trash, namely beer cans, and also beer splattered onto the control panel (the item that broke last time causing the delay in service we all experienced).

As I realize we have talked about this in the past through e-mails, hall meetings and many one on one conversations, I need to request that each of you take an active role in this community and prevent/stop any such damage from occurring. I certainly do not think anyone here would like the elevator to be shut down again due to damage concerns and possibly hinder any move out plans, aside from paying the bill as well. But given the damage problem we had before, I remain very concerned.

As we discussed in our hall meeting last week, if you see anyone damaging anything in the hall, please talk with them about how you do not want your home damaged. If you don’t feel comfortable talking with them and/or they don’t seem to listen, please call Public Safety immediately at x5555.

Why let their actions add to your student bill? Why sit back and watch and/or laugh at it rather than stopping it? Why not show “them” that if they want to break things or cause damage, they better find other ways to occupy their time? Why let Jeanne and Sylvia, who have worked hard each day to keep our home looking great, be the ones to have to clean up after others irresponsible actions?

By each of us taking more active roles in our community, we can prevent such concerns from occurring and simply enjoy the upcoming warmer weather and final 43 days until graduation. We have three other residence halls with elevators and none of them have had the concerns we’ve experienced in Map Hill, the newest hall on campus.

As always, I remain open to any suggestions, ideas and sincerely hope that this morning’s information was the last incident we all have to worry about concerning the elevator.

Slug

Once again, Slug, I don't know where your head's at. Hundreds of drunk underclassmen come through here every night looking for parties. And yet we have to take responsibility for their actions? I hardly see that as reasonable. Why don't you try spreading the cost of the elevator out across the entire on-campus student body? That way people understand that even if they do damage in another dorm, it's coming out of their own pocket. Not to mention it wouldn't be so "cool" to destroy stuff because the cost is coming out of your friends' pockets, too, so they won't be laughing so hard afterwards. The system that's in place now allows for people to do whatever they want as long as it's not their own dorm.

Anyway, like I mentioned before, it's not my responsibility to police the dorm, nor is it any other student's responsibility. I don't think we'll be taking turns riding your precious elevator in shifts 24/7 to make sure nothing happens to it.

I honestly just don't understand why you and OCL can't grasp this concept. But let's assume we police our dorm for a second. Here's scenario A: I catch someone doing damage, I call Babo. They show up 4 hours later after the person is long gone and take a nice little report. That'll really teach them a lesson. Here's scenario B: I catch someone, and I confront them. I get in a fight and/or take a shiv to the chest over it. Hmmm, scenario B is not so enticing either because I like my chest shiv-free. How about scenario C: Everyone reports every "suspicious-looking" person that comes into the dorm and we end up with huge racial/ethnic/etc. issues because who knows what "suspicious-looking" is?

My point is this isn't something that is within the students' control. You need to do something from the administration end to prevent it. Here's an idea... put a camera in the elevator. Then if it gets broken, you can access the tape and see who did it. I think that's better than scenarios A thru C, don't you? Just a thought.

Yeah well that's your opinion. Doug has lied to my face and been a complete nuisance to me since literally the day I moved in, not to mention he goes out of his way like a scumbag to solicit people to rat our their classmates. If he is going to show no respect for me and the rest of us living here then why should I do otherwise? His job is to make life better for us and be on our side, and instead he's handing us a shit sandwich for lunch and trying to convince us it's our own fault. That's bs, and I won't tolerate it.

I again disagree. I'm not saying upperclassmen play no part in what goes on, but why would someone who uses the elevator all the time want to ruin it? It doesn't make sense. If you're going to make everyone pay, then make everyone who lives on campus pay and make it everyone's problem and not just us because the chances are that it's heavily not our fault.

Not to mention, does Doug not live here, too? I wonder if he'll being shelling out $60 or whatever it is for his portion, as well. After all, he's just as if not more guilty than each of us if we're supposed to police our own hallways.

And speaking of Doug's job...what is it? What does a "liaison" do? Are we not supposed to be a community and be able to speak directly with OCL and other administrators? I believe I read that in the Babson strategic plan. So is Doug's job then to make sure everything runs smoothly around here? Because it doesn't seem like he's doing such a hot job of that. In fact, if that's his job, then he should be the one responsible for the elevator incident. After all, if he can't manage what happens around here then why is he here? We'd be just as well off with nobody. What else is his job? He's a glorified RA. Besides, even if we assume he is actually doing the job he's supposed to be doing, do you even question whether he's doing the RIGHT job? Isn't that more important?

Personally, I don't know who was involved with any of the destructive incidents here, nor do I know anyone who has that info. But even if I did, you can bet I wouldn't rat them out because I actually have pride in myself, as well as class and character. And ratting them out doesn't solve the problem in the long-term. Maybe people should be asking why someone would want to destroy the place we live in. Maybe people feel so abused here that it's a small way of lashing out at the school. I don't know the answer, but I know that sacrificing your integrity with the people around you isn't worth it.

Damn, guys, are you not better than this? I thought going to this school was supposed to be about paving our own ways and making things happen...asking the tough questions. Do you really just let this place spoon-feed you whatever crap they want and ask for more? I'm really disappointed in this place.

Besides, aren't you the guy that more or less implicated my suite of being the so-called "guilty party" earlier in the semester, when really we had and have nothing to do with the destruction around here? Because that's a great example about how ratting people out goes bad. Not only do you look like a dick for trying to throw your classmates under the bus, but you pick the wrong ones. Now, imagine if that had racial/ethnic/other implications to it, as well. Are you starting to see how Doug "doing his job" snowballs?

Maybe you don't care, and you just want to cover your own ass, and I guess that's fine. I'd rather stop taking Babson's beating and actually voice my opinion. If that means less respect for Doug, then so be it because if he wants to be a successful "liaison" then he has to earn respect, and so far he hasn't in my opinion.

Just thought I would add my two cents. While I normally stay out of these, recent circumstances being what they are I no longer feel the need. While Mr. Sarno is very pleasant to our faces, I will let you know that his attitude towards students in the Map Hill building is anything but respectful. He has said, on numerous occasions regarding the elevator, that he "in no way feels sorry for any healthy college students who need to walk up a few flights of stairs". Furthermore, he perpetually encourages students to turn on one another in a passive attempt to uncover information.

Sorry - taking out some pent up aggression here. Don't trust him.