Cougar Village 2 on Aug. 25, 2024. | Raphael Fernandez/The Cougar
As the semester began, issues arose for students living in the University’s residential area, Cougar Village 2. Two weeks ago during move-in week, students complained that their Cougar Cards were defective.
CV2 residents use Cougar Cards for meal plans on campus, purchases and student identification. They also serve as key cards to get into CV2.
“Nobody told me that I had to re-code my new card into the building until I asked an RA about it,” said nutritional sciences freshman Jemima Osime. “That definitely would have been useful information while I was at the Cougar Card Office.”
For two weeks, students like Osime were unable to use their Cougar Cards for meal swipes or get into the building.
Several students also had trouble using their cards for elevators, causing them inconveniences and binding them with others.
“I have to rely on other people or always bring my roommate with me just so I can go back on my floor using the elevator,” said pre-nursing freshman Su-Jin La.
For many students, coming to college is the first time without their parents. However, these first-year students are struggling because they cannot enter their rooms or the dining hall.
While student workers on campus are able to help efficiently, residents expect mistakes to be kept to a minimum, considering the University enrolled the largest Freshman class in UH history.
However, as many students identify as low-income, CV2 is their best option for a quality living experience with personal showers, bathrooms, and on-floor kitchens.
Several complaints were made about CV2, and faulty cards were just one of them. Broken appliances, malfunctioning elevators and even unprofessional move-in practices raise more questions about why so many inconveniences are occurring.
“When I was sleeping in my dorm, the movers barged into my room; it startled and annoyed me that they didn’t knock to begin with,” said computer science freshman Akanimo Eshiet II. “I ended up hanging out in my suitemates’ room until they finished moving the stuff in.”
For Akanimo, this felt like an invasion of privacy and could have been handled in a more effective manner where he did not feel uncomfortable in his own space during the week of move-in.
“If I was not sleeping and doing something else like changing or praying, I definitely would have been upset,” Akanimo said.
A laundromat meant to supply seven floors worth of residents also received backlash. Residents had experiences with washers that were not able to turn on, and dryers not properly drying clothes.
Students had to spend a lot of time trying to find a cycle that would ease their efforts, but it all went in vain and left them with damp clothes.
“The dryer took four hours despite the high heat,” Su-Jin La said. “I tried fixing this by just moving the clothes to a new dryer every time.”
When room advisors were asked to make a statement about the condition of the CV2 building, they declined due to not being able to go on record discussing Student Housing and Residential Life.
