When Nicole Winkelmann and Krista Connelly moved into their Ivory Tower double in August, they found it was already occupied.
The juniors said since they arrived, they’ve shared their room with more than 250 cockroaches.
“At one point there were cockroaches literally crawling out of the drain in our kitchen sink,” Winkelmann said.
The pair said they’ve seen roaches crawling all over their room, from inside the refrigerator and freezer to the sinks, dishwasher, ceiling, floors and countertops.
Winkelmann and Connelly said they submitted a FIXit request to combat their room’s pest problem the day they moved in. But the first and second pest treatments failed.
Following a third treatment in mid-September, the residents said they noticed fewer and fewer roaches every day for a week afterward. For about five days, they didn’t see any at all.
Connelly said two weeks later, she found about 25 roaches on the shower floor.
Facilities came to inspect the room and performed a fourth treatment, and since then, the residents have seen five bugs in their room.
“Basically, the whole roach thing has taken over our lives,” Connelly said.
She added that out of a fear of roaches, the two avoid using their kitchen and are blowing through their dining dollars and Colonial Cash.
“I’ve been afraid to unpack any of the food I bought because of the roaches,” Winkelmann said.
Winkelmann and Connelly said the University told them their room’s roach problem is an isolated case, but after putting up posters throughout the building, they received e-mails from students living on the second, third, fourth, fifth and eighth floors who had similar problems.
The University conducted a building-wide treatment in Ivory Tower last summer after receiving an influx of pest complaints.
University spokeswoman Michelle Sherrard declined to comment on the number of roach complaints FIXit has received this year for Ivory Tower, as well as whether roach complaints have targeted any other residence halls.
She said students who notice pest problems should submit FIXit requests and a pest control team will respond.
Winkelmann and Connelly said they are looking to receive some sort of compensation for their troubles.
Typically, the University does not credit students’ accounts because of facilities-related issues, Sherrard said.
“We have in the past worked with students to move if they are unhappy with their rooms,” she said.
Winkelmann and Connelly said they looked at other rooms on campus, but didn’t want to give up their Ivory Tower double. They added that while FIXit responds to each pest complaint promptly, they do not always successfully resolve the problem.
“Everyone is really nice, but nice isn’t getting anything done,” Winkelmann said.
Winkelmann and Connelly said they are in talks with housing regarding the issue and hope to reach a solution.
Ms. Winkelmann and Ms. Connelly should have their parents call and cause a ruckus. Isn’t that how all GW students handle things these days?
I live in JBKO and have had a similar problem (to a lesser extent), but still has taken over my life. FIXit seems to help sometimes, but we still have the roach problem. Considering how much we pay for housing, pest problems should be taken care of.
Also, if the parents of these women are paying any amount for housing, they definitely should send a complaint to GW Housing. Or even consult a private pest control business and have the problem taken care of themselves.
I love making fun of the sense of entitlement pervasive among our student and alumni body as much as the next guy…but this is terrifying.
25 roaches in the shower? Roaches crawling out of the sink? I feel really sorry for these girls because this is basically my worst nightmare. GW needs to find the source of this infestation, because there aren’t these many roaches if there isn’t a huge cache of “food” somewhere.
This is beyond unacceptable. And that they aren’t offering any sort of compensation is crazy. They’re offering moving? They’re offering to go through the trouble of moving? As compensation. Incredible. I generally think people are whiny and ridiculous. But this is a whole new level of unacceptable.
If they were given the option to move out but still don’t want to give up their ivory tower double, then I don’t feel bad for them….
These two students should have taken the option to move to another room somewhere around the 2nd and 3rd treatment. Move house and move on with the more important aspect of their time living in Foggy Bottom: their studies.
GW needs to make good on providing quality housing (through pest control and re-location, mandatory if necessary). The two students need to take some responsibility for their own lives and get the heck out of an environment that must be detracting from both their studies and their personal lives.
Someone should go after Housing and facilities. How can GW allow their dorms get to that point. While the director of housing, president of the University, and board of trustees sit back and worry about their own problems, students are actually in dire need of major changes and it might start with getting rid of certain people who are not doing their jobs.
This story horrifies me to a point where I question the university’s ability to take proper action.
I while back I had the apparent temerity to question and complain about the decrepit, filthy housing of which I was personally aware. My post was in response to a story about the conditions of HOVA (I do not have personal knowledge about HOVA but of other residence halls over the years). I suggested that the administration must think that the students are indeed stupid to buy their insufficient explanations and inaction. My attempt at genuine discourse was met by an insulting post by some snot named Sam.
I noticed that shortly after that exchange the Hatchet took down the entire story about HOVA. Similarly, the Hatchet took down another story about unsanitary conditions in another residence hall which appeared afterward. I guess the self proclaimed “Independent” moniker is meaningless when it comes to anybody justly critizing the university.
Just watch, in a day or so, this story about Ivory Towers will be taken down as well.
I am simply amazed that in the face of these many problems with their housing, the student body is not incensed and demanding action from those whose job it is to provide safe, healthy housing (for which you are paying some bucks).
Mike,
We have not removed the HOVA story. You can find it here: http://www.gwhatchet.com/2011/09/26/hall-on-virginia-avenue-residents-protest-aging-building/. What other story do you think we removed? I’ll help you find it.
Best,
Lauren
Lauren, I did not find the HOVA story under the news threads or the news blogs. I did look diligently as I have a personal interest in this subject of gw housing. The other story I believe was about the lack of prompt action by the Fixit people. I don’t recall the title of the story. If I am wrong, shame on me. Thank you for responding.
I did find the HOVA story via a google search (prior to your link being posted).
I guess you are on the Hatchet staff. This topic of substandard housing seems to me to be so important that the administration should be challenged by editorials and maybe a running blog to connect the students.
Hi Mike,
We reset the main ‘news’ page each issue to reflect the new content. You can always find old articles here or here.
Here is the FixIt story you were looking for: http://www.gwhatchet.com/2011/10/03/students-frustrated-with-backlog-of-fixit-requests/
I’m the editor in chief, it is very nice to virtually meet you.
Lauren
The students whose room is infested should contact the office of the University President and advise that, if the problem isn’t fixed within a week, a complaint will be filed with the DC City Government. As a landlord, the University is responsible for dealing with the insect problem. Hold ‘em accountable!
Is this room 402 by any chance??