Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with dorm

What were the NYU women's dorms like in the late 1960s?

shelayna — Wed, 19 Aug 2009 01:53:34 -0800

There are some things I'd like to know about the NYU women's dorms in the late 1960s. Does anyone know how it was in the women's dorms at New York University from 1965-1970? Specifically:

Were men allowed in the rooms? If the answer is "yes," was it only between certain hours, or could they go up any time?

If they weren't allowed in the rooms:

Was there a guard to make sure they didn't go upstairs?

Was there a lounge or something where the guys were allowed to hang out?

How did a girl know that her date had arrived- was there a house phone in the lobby?

Did each dorm room have a private phone, or was there just a pay phone or something on each floor?

Any other interesting tidbits that I didn't ask about would also be welcome.

What's a single (dormed) girl to do?

punchdrunkhistory — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 14:07:39 -0800

How does a naturally introverted girl adjust to college life while living in a single dorm her freshman year? This September I'll be starting college at a small private liberal arts school. I'm a natural introvert, and so was looking forward to having a roommate in order to give my social life that much more of a jump start (as discussed heavily in this question). However, I learned today that I'll be living in a single. I'll be living on a floor with the other members of my first-year seminar, so I won't be totally alone, but I'm still terrified that I'm going to end up retreating into my room and find myself eating alone and never socializing. How do I get past this and make friends?

(To be clear, I have already met quite a few people through our class's Facebook group, and my best friend so far has already offered to hang out with me, but I'm sure even he will end up spending more time with his roommates. But this might just be paranoia.)

Cheap + Healthy + Quick = Impossible?

sciencemandan — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 10:30:26 -0800

I'm starting grad school and will be living in a residence hall with shared kitchen facilities. I need your ideas for quick, cheap, and healthy meals. I am going to be living alone, but I won't have my own kitchen. There is, however, a shared kitchen for the entire floor to use, so I have access to a stove/oven, but I won't be using it all the time.

I would really like to eat healthy, and I will have a refrigerator/freezer, a microwave, and a toaster oven in my room. I also picked up a hot water kettle, and I'm thinking of buying a food steamer as well.

I need food ideas that are cheap, healthy, and quick to prepare. I'm definitely okay with ideas that involve making a large batch of [fill in the blank] and freezing individual portions. Any creative tips on how best to do that would also be appreciated. I'm not vegetarian/vegan, but I'm not altogether opposed to the idea of going that route if it would be cheaper, so get creative with your ideas. Ideally, I'd like to have a list of staple foods that I can run to the grocery store and pick up.

Community College isn't as barren as they say it is... right?

biochemist — Sun, 24 May 2009 08:35:30 -0800

Give me your community college success stories! I'd like to know if you went to community college at a traditional age and had a blast. For financial reasons, I'd like to start college at a community college. However, I'm worried about not making many friends and missing out on the "traditional" college experience.

For me, that experience would involve joining a greek organization, attending a lot of sports games, going to parties and making a lot of friends.

I do plan to transfer to a four year college, but I also worry that I'll never feel a true sense of camaraderie since I wasn't there from the start.

If you've had an experience negating all these worries, tell me about it!

Should I stay or should I go now

swimmingly — Sat, 09 May 2009 10:17:54 -0800

Agonizing over whether I should stay in my current, comfortable residence hall next year or risk the move to a completely different one. Must decide by this coming Monday. I fell out with my best friend 'Amy', who lives on the same floor as me in my tiny residence hall -- let's call it CJ -- a few months ago. The relationship has been steadily deteriorating since then and now we are no longer speaking to each other, which makes things a little uncomfortable sometimes because my floor is very small (around 10 people) and there is no way to avoid each other completely.

I need to make a housing decision for next year very soon. Amy will be moving to a different floor from me, but I have been agonizing over whether to move to a different residence hall, KL, altogether. Amy has said that she wants as much space away from me that she can get, but that's not the only reason.

I am thinking of moving because I feel that we may compete for friends within CJ if I stay, and the awkwardness will come up again if we both want to hang out in the small common room. Based on location, KL is really the only other option for me. Problem is: KL will be the complete opposite of CJ. In CJ, the community is very small (40 people) and close-knit. Most of us live in single rooms and are not disruptive. In KL, the community is 100-110 people, who are likely to be hardcore party people because KL tends to attract them. (Also, KL is uglier than CJ.)

I am a bit of a homebody, and take some time for me to make friends. I know that this means I am basically screwing myself over, but it's hard to change that part of myself. CJ is my comfort zone because I already know and like the residents, but another consideration is that a lot of my friends from CJ are already moving out and the character of CJ may change slightly with incoming freshmen. I can't move out to an apartment because: 1) potential roommates have all been taken and I dont want to stay alone, and 2) it's not worth it to have an apartment for only one year, because I'll be graduating.

I am hoping that I could find friends among KL's 100-110 people in a few months, but I'm not good at maintaining the level of social that it would require. Cliques are going to form, from my experience, which are hard to break into. At the very worst, I would have no friends in KL and be kept up at night by noisy drunken people. Since I am graduating next year, I won't have the chance to hang around and make closer friends over time.

Upshot: should I stick it out in CJ for just one more year, where at least I'll know and like some people, or risk the move?

Renting a dorm room in Burlington, Vermont

Ylajali — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 13:07:24 -0800

Hi, MeFi's collective oracle. I was wondering if anyone out there has ever successfully rented as vacation accommodations a dorm room from either UVM, Burlington College or Goddard College in Burlington, Vermont. I'm planning a Memorial-Day getaway there and, because my needs are few, I figured that staying in a dorm room might be the most cost-effective option. Any tips, tricks or other insights would be gratefully received!

Wasps on the mind

punishinglemur — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 20:01:49 -0800

Wasp problem: They're in my room, I have a phobia. What to do? It seems my dorm has developed a wasp problem. About a week and a half ago, I discovered one in my windowsill. It was moving around very slowly, as if it was debilitated. To deal with this situation, I first stumbled backwards, falling over and knocking over a fan. Then, I slammed the window shut as hard as I could and then sat around trying to cool down. My window was open in winter because the heat in this building is way too high, to the point where it's unbearably hot without an open window.

I was surprised to find a wasp because at the time it was a cold February in the midwest. I live in a small single room (all of eight feet wide, approximately). I was freaked out for a while, but I got over it. Until tonight, when I saw one flying around my room. I ran out, slammed the door, and I'm now in an, uh, undisclosed location.

This presents a problem. I'm absolutely terrified of returning to my room. It's completely debilitated me. The thought of going back is laughable. Every little movement I see from the corner of my eye gives me a jolt and the sweats -- it could be a wasp! Every little tingle or brush I feel on my skin, like when my arm brushes against my shirt, has the same effect -- it's gotta be the wasp! Even if I did manage to make it inside my room, it's still there. If I see it again, I'll flee again. If I don't that's almost worse: is it in my blankets? My coat? My shoes? Everything I touch or move is suspect.

Worse yet, I've never been stung and I have no idea if I'm allergic or not. This only serves to amplify my fears.

I have no idea what to do right now -- I feel lost and helpless. It's hard to get across in words just how completely debilitating this wasp situation is. What is the best way for me to get rid of it, especially if I can't see it? How can I convince the school to take action on this? They've said they will be getting it looked at, but more immediate action of... some sort, I don't know what, would be appreciated. Finally, how do I keep myself from dying if I do end up getting stung by this unwanted guest?

Cooking for hungry, hurried students

scission — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 17:33:23 -0800

What should I make for breakfast? I'm giving away the food to students who are on their way out of the dorm, heading to class. Easy to eat and easy to cook are both appreciated! This is a social event at college, for recruitment / rush but hopefully unintrusive about that.

-I have access to one kitchen, but there are others nearby if necessary (only for prep work)
-The space is small-ish and I'm told that the oven burns things easily; maybe it's hotter than it claims?
-No specific restriction on ingredients except that I have to buy it at an average supermarket and prefer cheaper things

The only thing that comes to mind for me is pancakes, but since we are having multiple breakfast events throughout the next month, I want more ideas to break up the tedium. Bonus points if you can offer advice on what works well in a hectic setting like this.

What are the best ipod/regular speakers to use while studying abroad for a year?

daf81289 — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 10:32:07 -0800

What are the best ipod/regular speakers to use while studying abroad for a year? I will be studying abroad for a year and living in college-dorm type room (meaning cramped). I will have my iPod and my MacBook Pro with me. Right now I have the Harmon/Kardon Soundsticks II and love them, but they're too big to bring. What are the best speakers that I can get for uner $150? Thanks!

My Room Smells Disgusting. Help?

DMan — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:22:01 -0800

What is the absolute best/strongest/still-smells-good air freshener that money can buy? So my roommate at college moved in, and due to a myriad of factors including his apparent dislike of personal hygiene products and love of oats, our room now smells disgusting. At this time me and the other two guys in the room aren't willing to approach the problem directly because we don't think this guy will care or listen to us. So we need some kind of amazing air freshener.

Things we are doing now: I leave the window open in the bedroom that I share with him pretty much continuously, and it does seem to help a bit but it won't solve the problem. We also use Glade and Febreze as often as possible, but they wear off pretty quickly.

So, MeFi: What kind of air freshener can I get that will make my room smell better? I'm looking for some kind of "fire and forget" system that I don't have to remember to spray every hour or whatever. I'm fine with turning it off at night and on in the morning.

Almost forgot: We can't have real candles, but we can use candle warmers. This is in a dorm.

Thanks for the help that is sure to come!

What made your college RA great?

Clandestine Outlawry — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 15:39:51 -0800

What made your college RA great? I'll be an RA this upcoming September at a large Canadian university. Tending to a co-ed 'house' of about 44 undergrads, my role will include community building as well as rule enforcement and support for individual students with whatever they need during the year. I did this job last year and was OK - things went fine, but I doubt anything I did was very memorable for the residents.

This year, I want to be more than OK - I want to be a great RA. So I'd like to hear the things that your college RA did that you look back on as especially helpful, that made your time in the residence more pleasant, or otherwise earned your appreciation.

Cautionary tales or general advice are also most welcome. On the residence programming front, I've already noted this Ask thread from a few years ago.

What are some inventive recipes for cooking in a dorm room?

pumpkin11 — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 16:27:43 -0800

I need your creative dorm-room cooking recipes and tips. Dining hall food is terrible/ not available at the hours I like to eat, and I also find it satisfying to make a grilled-cheese sandwich with waxed paper and a clothes iron.

So please, give me any creative recipes that would be easy for a student living in a dorm room to make.

My requirements:
minimal ingredients
not a lot of prep time

appliances I have on hand: rice cooker/steamer, microwave, electric kettle

the more unusual the better--I am not interested in the obvious Ramen, soup, etc.

I would also consider purchasing one more small kitchen appliance for my room, if it could be used in a good number of these recipes.

I can has right to privacy too?

WidgetAlley — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 12:05:55 -0800

Damn silly college "visitation hours" rules at a public state university. Help me fight the man? I'm a sophomore here at Austin Peay in Clarksville, TN. Love the school, truly I do, and I love living on campus as well. I'm fine with most of the rules here, like the no alcohol, etc., etc. However, we also have what is, in my opinion, one of the silliest things I've ever heard:

Opposite-gender visitation hours are 8 a.m.-midnight. A violation is a write-up. Four violations of this rule, and you are kicked off campus (I believe.) Lobbies are 24-hour visitation spots, but there is absolutely nothing in them, and we can't, for instance, have movie parties there anyway (copyright laws, it's considered "public use".)

I should also make clear that this goes for EVERY dorm on campus, including the outside motel-style ones (not just the traditional "hallway" styles.) The only dorms that have 24-hour visitation are one Honors dorm for juniors and seniors only that is about 20 minutes away from the main campus, and the "family residence" non-traditional housing, which most students can't live in anyway.

There are two questions here:

First and foremost, why? Is there a legal reason for this I don't know about? I am friends with many RAs on other campuses, and apparently this policy is fairly rare, particularly for a whole campus. I'm also friends with many RAs here, and they absolutely loathe it. I understand the need for visitation hours in an enclosed dorm, but for every main-campus living quarter? Really?

Secondly, what can I do about it? I don't know anyone who likes this rule, and it definitely gets ignored anyway. All it does is make us feel like Anne Frank every time we stay over at our significant other's place.

We just got a new president here. What, do you think, would be the most effective form of reaching him with the news that this rule is outdated and no longer serves student needs? A letter-writing campaign? A petition? What's worked for you in the past? Any suggestions would be awesome.

Give me wireless freedom!

DMan — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 13:59:06 -0800

I want to have a wireless router in my dorm room, but it's not technically allowed. Can I sneak something in? So, I've been at college for a week now, and I'm already desiring a wireless connection in my room. The wired ethernet works fine when I'm at my desk, but my dorm room is more like a "suite" with 2 bedrooms connected by a common room, and I'd like to be able to sit on the couch in the common room and still get on the Internet.

The common room has 2 ethernet jacks, but both are currently in use by roommates who have their computers set up out there. Unplugging one of theirs to put mine in really isn't an option, so the obvious answer is a wireless access point that I can plug into my ethernet jack. However, the dorm doesn't really want students to do this.

I'm not really concerned about creating a security vunerability--I'm pretty sure I can lock down the network enough so that I'm the only one who can get on it. However, I need advice on two aspects of this. First, I don't really want the school's IT people knowing that I have this set up. Is there a way I can make the wireless router/access point invisible to them, from a network admin standpoint? And second, what steps should I take to lock the network down? I'm not as concerned with the security aspect of it, but rather I don't want a bunch of people mooching off of the connection because the amount of usage could start to look suspicious.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! To reiterate, here are my questions:

1. How can I hide a wireless router in such a way that the IT people will be unable to easily see that it's attached to my ethernet jack? (Talking about electronically, of course, its not like they search the rooms for that kind of thing)

2. What steps can I take to make sure I'm the only one that can get on? I've heard of MAC address filtering, WPA/WPA2 encryption, and hiding the SSID, but which of these do I need to do?

Thanks!

How do I coexist with an ex?

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Aug 2007 04:35:30 -0800

So I'm going to be a college sophomore in the fall, living two dorm-rooms away from my ex. Help me make this work/not go crazy. Background: We dated most of last school year, first serious relationship for each of us. Broke up last week, haven't talked since aside from businesslike exchanges related to me returning some of her stuff and her returning some of mine. I initiated the breakup, mainly because she's an extrovert who wanted to spend every waking moment with me, whereas I'm an introvert and need some alone time: we never could make this issue work, and eventually I couldn't take it anymore. She still has strong feelings for me (or did as of a few days ago), and part of myself keeps trying to mindfuck me into getting back together (even though rational part of me knows it's a terrible, terrible idea). Fall term starts in about a month, and we will be living two doors apart, sharing a bathroom, dining hall, etc.

My two main concerns:
1) We hung out with the same general group of friends last year, all of whom will be living near us in the fall, too. I don't want to split the group of friends by making people take sides, but I don't know what to do short of just give up my friends if she tries this tactic. More generally, I don't want things to be too awkward, if possible. Any advice appreciated!

2) I know, from the nature of myself and the relationship, that it's possible that I'll be really tempted to get back together with her, which would be bad. I've read other relationshipfilter questions on this subject, and it makes sense: the issues that caused the breakup won't go away. But still, I never liked to see her suffering, and I'm worried that, in close proximity to her, I'll run back to her to try to make her feel better OR I'll start thinking, "you know, there were actually some really awesome things about her, I should try to make amends." Basically, going back to school will probably cause the post-breakup no-contact period to end before it should. Plus, if her reaction to the breakup (begging me to come back) is any indication, she might cause some drama. I'm wondering how I should deal with this to minimize pain and the possibility of a reckless resumption of the relationship.

If things get unmanageable, I can always move to a different dorm, but not during the first month of school (silly university rules), so please don't suggest moving. I will do it if I must when I can, but until then I still have to exist.

And sorry about the long post and the relationshipfilter. Basically, any advice about negotiating this delicate situation would be great. Thanks...

DC Shopping Spree: Send My Sister to College in Style

decathecting — Mon, 06 Aug 2007 23:02:12 -0800

What are some good places to shop for dorm decor, cool fashion accessories, and other college-related frivolities in the DC area? My little sister starts college in the fall, and she's coming to visit me this weekend for the last time before she leaves for school. I'd like to take her on a shopping spree for some really neat stuff for her dorm room and maybe some fashion accessories, things the other kids at her off-in-the-boonies school won't have. I'm already planning to take her to Urban Outfitters, and we'll make the obligatory trip to Bed, Bath, and Beyond for the basics. Where else should we go? What are the best places to buy posters, duvet covers, tapestries, and throw pillows? Where do the cool college kids, the ones I'd actually like spending time with, shop?

Also, where can we get her an awesome messenger bag, some interesting buttons/pins and t-shirts (nothing political, which is hard in DC), and maybe a cool hat? I'd like to be able to get her some great stuff without spending a fortune, so cheap would be better. She has a pretty conservative personal style for a teenager, but she's still cooler than me, and I have no idea "what the kids are into these days." Help me make my little sister even more amazing and make my last weekend with her rock!

The best, cheapest sound system possible

The Esteemed Doctor Bunsen Honeydew — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 02:04:37 -0800

AudioNoviceFilter: I need an audio setup for a dorm that sounds the best it can for the least amount of money. I'm extremely green to the whole home audio thing, and need help/recommendations finding a setup that can take multiple inputs like a Turntable, CD player, and Cassette Deck (this means I need a receiver or a tuner, right?), and make them sound very good for not a lot of dough. A-la-Carte and package deals are both fine.
How much can I do this for and still get high quality?
ALSO, what would be the best way to hook up the aforementioned system to an iBook G4 (to play my itunes library)?

Can a home be a luxury?

Anonymous — Fri, 06 Jul 2007 13:31:47 -0800

Can a home be a luxury? I want to know if you think it [is/is not] so. A lot I'm a college student, now entering my third year. For various reasons, my family has moved around every 2-3 years since I was born, oscillating between [East Asian country] and the US. For high school, I left [EAC] and went to boarding school for high school, switched schools after my first year, and lived in the dorms (moved out every nine months). I came to a prestigious college in a different city (NYC) than my high school was in, and am also living in the dorms.

For me, 'home' consists of a vague idea of shelter and comfort, somewhat disassociated with family, and very disassociated with location or country. I visit my parents a month a year, if I'm lucky -- a week a year, if I'm not. I have no other family outside [EAC] save for my older sister, who will be on the West Coast for the next seven+ years.

I'm finding that I am more and more desireful about the prospect of having a small home of my own in NYC. What bothers me about college dorms is that most of the students don't perceive their rooms as shelter or a home, but rather a temporary resting-point while they are away from home. For me, that's not true, and I'm tired of feeling nomadic and itinerant all the time. Last summer, I lived in a sublet in NYC, and it felt great, comfortable, relatively like a home, someplace to hunker down and cook for myself, sleep in late on weekends. However, I feel like getting an apartment is an overblown luxury, that I should suck it up, as the other students do, and stay in the dorms for the remaining years. After all, I have the rest of post-collegiate or post-academic life to not live in a dorm.

My parents have been supportive and understanding of this whole idea, and have told me not to worry too much about the financial details. An apartment/room is pricey in Manhattan though, and my parents would pay $3000 more per year than the college dorms would require. (I'd pay the rest.) On top of that, they're paying for my college education (albeit subsidized by a significant amount of financial aid).

In short, I feel like a spoiled, ungrateful idiot. $3000 a year isn't an incredible amount to them -- but that's not the point. I've been incredibly blessed with the amount and depth of opportunities that I have, yet I feel like I'm not content with what I have when I should be. A part of me wants this sense of home, while another part says that I'm young, flexible, resilient, and that as a college student the dorms is the appropriate setting for me.

What do you think? Should I? Do you have any similar experiences? Am I spoiled? Is this overblown luxury?

What are good reasons for requesting a single room in college?

mrunderhill — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 02:46:31 -0800

What are good reasons for requesting a single room in college? They have limited single rooms available so they ask for a reason. I love people, but I enjoy being alone every now and then.. hardly a good reason. Any ideas?

2 minutes!!!

lain — Wed, 11 Oct 2006 19:33:10 -0800

Help me find a pet for my dorm. My roommate and I really want a pet. The only problem is that, according to the Dormitory rules, the pet must be able to hold its breath underwater for at least 2 minutes. We something besides some goldfish and turtles.. We were thinking a duck, but apparently they don't hold their breath for more than 30 seconds. Any interesting ideas?

stop eating my food people!

chefscotticus — Sun, 07 May 2006 13:39:50 -0800

How do I get people to stop eating my food? We have a common refrigerator on my hallway (in a dorm at college), and someone at 3 of the 4 fruit tarts that I had put in there on Friday night (and no, I didn't label them as mine, but that's beside the point. I'd like to post a humorous, but clear note on the fridge commenting that taking other's food is not ok. So far, i've got:
PLEASE DON'T EAT MY FOOD.

...now I need a big, comedic finish. Help me, oh wise and creative MeFites!

Morning routine for an internet-addicted college student?

Ash3000 — Mon, 17 Apr 2006 09:02:40 -0800

What is the best morning routine, especially for someone who is (a) in college and (b) wants to fight something starting to look like internet addiction? I have this problem with my morning routine - every path seems to lead back to the computer. Go outside for a walk before anything else? Then I come back in feeling even sweatier and more gross than I would otherwise, but I don't want to walk to the shower b/c our dorm shower is similarly grody...so I procrastinate on the computer. Wake up, take a shower? Well, then it's back to my room afterwards when I get dressed, and so long as I'm waiting for class to begin...back to the computer. Maybe I should stay in and clean my increasingly disgusting room? Sure, but after a while I realize I need to find the right music/podcast for that, and it's back to the computer for a bit that turns out long because I really, really need more memory for it...or something. (My laptop is beginning to look retirement-worthy.)

The worst part is that my computer use usually ends up being just going back and forth between blogs, e-mail, facebook, etc., without ever really reading things in depth - there's a calming to the back and forth. What should my morning routine be? I hate the idea that I'm wasting time better spent on the computer, but I don't realize how much has been lost until after the fact, and am beginning to get seriously creeped out.

How does my dorm room radiator work?

fvox13 — Sun, 05 Mar 2006 21:26:52 -0800

HVAC Filter: Can someone describe how the radiator in my dorm room works? Or, how to fix it when it stops working in the middle of the night? (Pictures included!) I understand the basic principle: I turn the knob, and somehow, the capillary tubing turns on the heat. But how does it work, exactly? What kind of liquid is in the capillary tubing? What's inside the control knob? Can I remove the nut from the end of the pipe and turn something manually?

I know that it can be fixed remotely, because all I have to do is call the facilities department, and within five minutes, I hear a whoosing sound in my pipes, but I'd be curious to know if I can fix it in the middle of the night when it suddenly gets cold?

Here are a few pictures of the setup... one overview, and one closeup. The sock is there because, every once in a while, the thing starts bubbling out some liquid, and it's noisy without it.

Thanks!

Warm in the dorm

luftmensch — Sun, 08 Jan 2006 07:39:38 -0800

I'm looking for creative ways to stay warm in my dorm room. Bad windows, tile floors and no thermostat control - brr. I'd like to ask the collective for some inventive, unusual or not-so-obvious ways to stay warm this winter. Extra points for either very practical, or very Golderbergian. I'm not looking for "put on a sweater" , but more like "build a system using plastic tubing, water and a pump to transfer your laptop's heat to a foot warmer." Well, maybe not that crazy. You get the idea.

Truly, Denmark is a prison...

Who_Am_I — Fri, 23 Sep 2005 08:44:22 -0800

My girlfriend is studying abroad in Copenhagen, Denmark this semester. On Monday there was a rather serious fire in the kitchen of her "dorm." Nobody was hurt, but the response and follow-up has been less than ideal. Please help us get someone to take action. At around 3:00am on Monday one of the girls got up to use the bathroom, and saw that the kitchen was on fire. No smoke detectors were sounding. She attempted to sound the fire alarm, but it didn't work. She went door to door waking people up, while another girl tried the other fire alarms (the third one worked). The fire department showed up before it spread to the rest of the building, but the kitchen is totally destroyed, and many of the surrounding rooms (common room, dining room, etc.) were damaged beyond use.
The fire was clearly an electrical fire caused by one of the refrigerators. Ten days before this, the residents had reported that one of the refrigerators had frayed wire and standing water behind it. The maitenence guy for the building told the school that he sent someone out to look at it and that they found it to be OK. This guy has a well-established history of telling the school that he has fixed things which he in fact has not.
The fire chief was there at some point after the fire and told them that the building had passed inspection at some point in the past, that no smoke detectors was not against fire code, and seemed to think that one in three fire alarms working was good enough. Surely Danish fire law cannot be this lax?
The air quality in the building has obviously been affected. Talking to my girlfriend just now, she was coughing and clearing her throat the whole time. The fire department has said that the air "should be ok to breathe", but they (the students) can't get anyone to actually come and test it. They were told on Tuesday that air filters had been set up (they had not), and again on Wednesday (they still had not), and now finally on Friday they have two small filters for the entire floor. Guess who was supposed to set them up, and told the school that he had done so on Tuesday.
Many of the girls have been psychologically affected by this event as well, and have had trouble sleeping, been anxious, etc. The school brought in two "psychologists", who everyone immediately realized were not professionals at all, and did nothing to help.
The school seems to think that everyone is overreacting, and keeps telling people to "calm down."
The problem is really this: the building is privately owned, and rented by the school to house students. It is very run down, and is to be torn down next year by a new owner. The school doesn't think that the building is their responsibility, and the new private owner is a secret because the transfer of ownership is not complete yet. Nobody feels safe in the building now, but nobody knows who to talk to to get any of this resolved.
I have suggested talking to a lawyer, and possibly the press (the building has a history of being the worst student housing in the city) just to put the pressure on.
They would like an assurance that the building is safe to be living in, or to be relocated. Any ideas on what they can do, or who they can talk to, to get some action here?