Aside from all of the controversy on the meal plan change, there is another trending issue around campus: the new laundry system. Residents are frustrated with the changes that have been made and find it difficult to adapt to.

The reason for the change is simple and done only to benefit the residents on campus.

“The washers and dryers were seven years old and our contract had run out with our current vendor,” said Director of Campus Services, Vanessa Webster-Smith “We got new updated equipment, cause we had a lot of complaints before about torn laundry since the machines were so old.”

Now the only way to pay for your clothes to be washed on campus is with a debit or credit card. If you don’t have either of those, then it looks like you’re just out of luck. Jonathon Mills, a sophomore who lives in North Hall, says he would have found it difficult to do laundry if this was implemented his freshmen year.

“Before this year I never even had debit or credit,” Mills said. “So I wouldn’t have even had the option last year to do laundry.”

“For anybody that uses predominantly cash, it puts you at much more of a disadvantage to get your stuff clean.”

The prices have also increased by 75 cents from last year. Originally it was $1 to wash and 75 cents to dry, and now it’s $1.50 to wash and $1 to dry. If a student were to wash their clothes 20 times a semester, they would spend $50 on laundry whereas if this were last year they would only spend $35.

The new laundry system does not just take $2.50 from your account if you wash and dry your clothes. It also initially charges $8 on the swipe and whatever is not spent will be returned to your account. In this case, if you only spend $2.50, $5.50 will be reimbursed to your bank account.

Dean Starros, a sophomore residing in North Hall, did not want them charging $8 instantly so he had a new plan.

“I didn’t like the idea of them charging $8 on my card and reimbursing me a day later. So I ended up going across the street to the apartment complex, Grenada Gardens, and tried to do my laundry for a little bit cheaper,” Starros said.

After having difficulties with the laundry machines off campus, Starros came back to the provided on-campus machine and now enjoys them more than before.

“I decided to give these machines another chance and after I used them about three times I’m a lot less opposed to it,” Starros said, “I guess it’s just me adapting to the new situation.”

Sofia Cruz, a sophomore resident advisor, has already had a few issues with the new machines but still uses them because of how easily accessible they are.

“I was trying to dry my towels and my jackets and I put it through the dry cycle and it did not help at all so I had to dry it twice,” Cruz said, “but the best thing [about doing laundry on campus] is that it’s super convenient and right next to you.”

Laundry is a struggle for me since I am a student athlete and go through two outfits a day. Having full loads of laundry within a week can get expensive but the close location is definitely something to be positive about.

Another convenient service that the laundry system provides is an app that can inform you when machines are available or when your laundry is done. The app is called FixLaundry and you can download it onto your smart phone. It is definitely something to try out if you’re a student searching for a silver lining in this new laundry system.

Ryan Perez

Published October 1, 2014