A towering trash pile met Dickens Hall residents on their daily commutes through the lobby last weekend as the Office of Residence Life works to replace the dumpsters quarantined in the new construction zones around the hall.
Sophomore Matthew King, who lives on the first floor of Dickens, could smell the trash from his hall, he said.
“I thought it was just a room with just a bad smell at first,” King said. “It hit me like a brick wall when I went into the lobby.”
King felt disappointed in the way Residence Life handled the situation and felt he wasn’t getting the experience he thought he was paying for in Dickens, he said.
“They really should’ve figured out something better right when the construction plans were made to close off our trash areas,” King said.
The trash problem is a result of the construction for a new dorm building that recently began around Dickens, according to an email from Residence Life.
“We are in the process of working with Facilities Management Services to come up with a more permanent, workable solution for the remainder of the semester,” the email stated. “We appreciate everyone’s patience during this time.”
Residence Life was unable to specify how long the process might take.
In the meantime, Dickens RAs have been telling residents to bring their trash down to the lobby, where it is being collected in a large blue trash bin.
Facilities Management still visits Dickens on a daily basis during the week to empty the trash but not on the weekends.
Additionally, Monday night, Dickens’ Resident Director David Friedrichs emptied all the trash in the lobby himself.
Friedrichs was reached out to for comment but was unavailable.
Dickens RAs also declined to comment on the record.
Sophomore Grant Bastin, a Dickens resident, said he was happy to have Friedrichs as an RD.
“I really love David, and I’m glad he stepped up and did what he had to for the students,” Bastin said. “If I ever see him having to do it again, I wouldn’t hesitate to help.”
However, Bastin was still upset at the lack of planning for the construction on Belmont’s part.
“The parking access and trash situation should have been better thought out before Belmont started to build a new building,” Bastin said. “It’s all the small things that Belmont doesn’t consider for returning students when they decide to build something to better the incoming students that really bugs me.”
This article was written by Zach Gilchriest. Photo taken by Sara Scannell.
UPDATE: Temporary plan in place to solve trash situation in Dickens
Due to the contractor needing a larger construction zone than originally planned, the dumpsters used by Horrell and Dickens halls are unusable for the time being. However, in an email sent to the Vision, Facilities Management Services addressed the concerns and offered a solution expected to go into effect soon.
“We expect to have some temporary equipment onsite next week to manage refuse from the garage to other locations,” the email stated. “Once the garage location is established, we will advise the building occupants, and Residence Life of this staging location and hopefully the students will assist our staff in getting the refuse there instead of hallways and lobbies.”
This update was written by Rebecca Arnold.