College denies correlation between complaints and cohabitation with family

Written by Theo Phillips

The Wofford College Office of Residence Life reported an increased number of roommate complaints lodged over the past month. While this timing aligns perfectly with students being sent home and the transition to online classes in the midst of a nationwide quarantine, school officials have chalked it up to pure coincidence. 

“We’re just doing our best to figure out what the problem is,” said Dean of Residence Life Bill Odom, “but some of the complaints are so specific—honestly a lot of these are new to me and the rest of the faculty. One student called me complaining that her new roommate grounded her and took away her phone and car keys. I didn’t even realize that was something that could happen.” 

Another student, Carrie James, ‘21, contacted me personally. “The school is turning a blind eye to some very serious issues,” James told me over Zoom as three small children ran around in the background, screeching, “but the quiet hours violations have been off the charts. I’ve tried lodging a noise complaint and they keep referring me to DSS.” 

Others have chimed in as well. Ben Mays, ‘22,  reached out to me, if that’s what calling me at 3 a.m. and asking if he can crash at my place means. “My new roommate is driving me up the walls, dude,” I heard him plead over the phone, “he won’t stop barking and it’s the middle of the night. I can’t ever sleep. I even remember looking for roommates and specifically asking on my FYI profile ‘no miniature schnauzers.’ And yet here we are.”

“I get home and all of a sudden I have thousands of new roommates in my crawl space that I didn’t ask for,” said Aaron Carmichael, ‘20. “It’s bad enough being sent home the spring of your senior year, but this just adds insult to injury. I mean, they leave my food and stuff pretty much alone, but they keep feeding on the walls and breeding by the multitude.” 

When I asked him if he was talking about termites, he responded, “No, they’re definitely not termites.” A local pest control representative confirmed that they were, indeed, termites. 

Incidents like these have prompted a flurry of maintenance requests. However, the school has time and again denied accusations that it has ignored the plights of students. 

“Any and all allegations that Wofford has mishandled this situation is categorically false,” said Odom. “Room and board does not cover repairs to your Samsung fridge at home when the ice dispenser stops dispensing!” 

Visibly flustered and shouting from his porch to me so as to maintain social distancing, the lack of a professional workspace gave the interview a more honest tone. Odom continued, “And the crushed setting still works; it’s only the cubed ice that won’t come out! I fail to see how this is an issue.”