Im not sure what this is.

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Hayley Brabson
March 21, 2008
ENG 102
Cutler
For the above average amount we pay for room and board here at Marshall
University, you would expect above average living conditions. This, however, is not the case
with Holderby Hall and the Sedexho dining halls on campus. My own and many students I have
talked to all agree that for the price we paid we expected more. The major complaints are the
small beds, the heat in the rooms, unsanitary and unkempt bathrooms, creepy elevators and
getting sick weekly due to the food served in the dining halls. When I signed the check to send
to residence services I was expecting a nice room and living conditions, and was I in for a shock
when I saw what I was getting on move in day!
I am in my second semester here at Marshall and still fall off of my twin size bed during
sleep at least once a week. I have a queen size bed at home and I am not used to sleeping on
something so small I can’t even roll during sleep. Most people I’ve talked to about this issue all
agree that they have much larger beds at home and the bed size is their biggest adjustment. My
first week here was a huge adjustment. I had never stayed away from home, let alone lived away
from it. I had to adjust to a new schedule, juggle homework and find time to study on top of that.
The stress that comes along with college is hard enough, let alone adding nights with no sleep
due to falling off the bed. My first two weeks here I didn’t sleep and I was miserable. I
considered coming home because I was so overwhelmed and the lack of sleep was doing me no
good. I know I am not the only student who has had this problem. I think that the dorm rooms,

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especially single, should come with the option of a twin size or a full size bed. Some people are
used to sleeping in a twin size bed so it gives them the option to stay with what is normal to
them, while on the other hand people who are used to sleeping in a larger bed can choose the full
size, and while this may still be smaller than their bed at home I’m sure it will be more of a
comfort to them knowing that they are able to roll over in the middle of the night as they sleep.
Marshall could also use this as a money making opportunity. Residence Services could charge a
fee to those who choose the full size bed. Most people do not put a price on their personal
comfort. I know I don’t.
My other main issue with Holderby Hall is that the rooms are always so hot. Haymaker
was my first choice but it was full so Residence Services placed me in Holderby. I didn’t know
until move in day that there was no air conditioning, and was I in for a shock. I immediately
went out and bought a box fan and a rotating fan, just to stay comfortable. I became sick
because I had to sleep with my windows open to bring in cooler sir. This sickness caused me to
live on allergy medication most of my first semester. Finally in November the outside started
cooling down. You think that this is the part of the story where I tell you everything was okay,
but its not. Come November, the heat in my room kicked on. Once again I was stuck with my
windows open twenty four hours a day, seven days a week. I think Marshall’s Residence
Services need to update their heating and cooling. Maybe they could install temperature controls
in each room.
During move in weekend the bathrooms were so clean and stocked. This is to be
expected when you are paying people to clean them. When the parents left, the cleanliness went
with them. Toilet paper is always lacking and there are never any toilet seat covers. Once there
was the same stain in the bathroom floor for two weeks. The showers also have nasty soap scum

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buildup, there’s so much that it’s even on the shower curtain. The showers are in desperate need
of bleaching. One shower has had a broken handle all year. I was stuck using stall number 3
during a busy shower period and learned that the handle will not move past cold. I reported this
to my RA and still nothing has been done about it. I think the best solution to this problem
would be to simply make sure the cleaning staff is doing their jobs. Residence Services could
take a weekly walk thru of all the buildings to see where improvement needs to take place.
My parents came to stay for parent’s weekend and were scared to death every time we
would leave and return to my room. Why, you may ask? It is because of the rickety, crackling,
squealing, screaming elevators. I once got on an elevator on the first floor and pushed the button
to go to the seventh floor when the elevator took me to the ninth floor and stopped. The doors
stayed closed. Just as I was starting to panic the elevator jumped and took me back to the first
floor. Needless to say I took the stairs that day. I can’t even begin to count the days I have been
late to classes because the elevator decides to stop at every floor on the way down. To fix this
problem I suggest that Marshall have better elevator upkeep and maintenance.
When I came to orientation I was so impressed with how good the food was. I couldn’t
imagine anyone complaining about this food. Now I totally understand why! Day after day it’s
hotdogs, hamburgers, soup, salad and cake or pie. Yes, they do have a new dish on the “what’s
cookin’” menu but it is usually vegan or foreign. I am sick at least once a week because of this
food. Something has to be done! My solutions to this problem are that the cafeterias serve a
wider variety of food and not let the food they have prepared sit out all day. I also filled out the
online survey and encouraged my friends to do the same.
I love Marshall University and I’m so happy with my decision to attend here. These
issues I have mentioned, however, may defer people from choosing Marshall. I want to be

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remembered as the campus that had the awesome students and best technology, not the campus
with creepy elevators and gross food. These problems reflect upon the whole community of
Marshall University, not just Holderby Hall and Sedexho. The costs for my improvements are
small but the revenue they will bring in will be insurmountable. If these problems are fixed then
I see our population growing by leaps and bounds in the future, and that’s something we all
want.