We’ve all been there this fall. Those first few days away from home and living on your own has opened your eyes to a whole new life. In dorm or in your new apartment, Mommy and Daddy aren’t around to watch you anymore. There’s no house rules and no one there to tell you to make your bed. Like an endless sleepover or living at summer camp. Go crazy, right?
But at what point do you cross the line?
Having spent seven years of my life in boarding school in my native New England, I’ve seen it all. This isn’t my first time at the rodeo, as they say. But my expectations for my fellow dorm resident’s rowdiness were most certainly exceeded. Living on the second floor, I’ve been lucky enough to have front row seats to the show.
It seems that the boys on the second floor of the newly renovated Broward East have caused some trouble in the opening weeks of school this fall semester. Broward is known to be composed of mainly first year students and the second floor is no exception - with more than thirty freshmen boys, I guess you could say something was bound to happen.
At first, it was petty things. Running up and down the hallways at 3 a.m., banging on people’s doors in the middle of the night, and messing with informational as well as resident’s signs. Our welcome board, which initially asked residents to “share Summer experiences”, turned into a candid confessional of distasteful adventures. These jokes are on the trivial side of the second floor’s shenanigans.
Some of the dorm ‘pranks’ have been geared toward one particular individual on the second floor. Taking the entire set of furniture out of the second floor’s lounge, shared with the ladies of the second floor of Broward, individuals placed chairs and other heavy objects in front of the Residential Advisor’s door. While it may have seemed comical to some, the obstruction was a real danger for the resident.
But the Broward Boys didn’t stop there.
If you’ve ever paid a visit to the Broward Area or if you dine at our finest dining facility on campus, The Fresh Food Company, then you’ve noticed the large construction site located next to the seemingly permanently closed Burger King. Toward the third week of the fall semester, unknown residents decided to lift construction equipment from the construction site and arrange a site of their own in the middle of the hallway.
Let’s just say the Broward Area IRHA staff weren’t too pleased.
It wasn’t too long until the entire second floor was seated in an official meeting with the residential manager of the Broward Area and two special guests: UFPD officers. Telling tales of students who acted much like those living on the second floor of Broward, including the story of an accident which cost one UF student approximately $100,000 in damages, the meeting seemed to scare some students straight.
Furthermore, the residents of the second floor woke up to a security upgrade the following
morning. Newly installed cameras are now in operation in the hallway of the second floor.
“This is my first time living in a dorm,” says a resident of the second floor, who wished to remain anonymous, “and I really didn’t know it could get this rowdy or that the guys would actually do the things they did.”
Another shocking element of the meeting between the residents and housing authority was the fact that the entire floor of students can be charged for damages they may or may not have levied to the building. This fact seemed to slip by students when they sign their housing contract with the university.
“While I thought it was funny, I’m scared that [the University] will charge me for things I haven’t even done,” says the resident.
But all may not be over for the dorm ‘pranks’ that are sweeping through Broward this fall. Recently, as a resident, I received an email from the residential advisor on my floor.
The RA opens his letter with “the bitter mistreatment of our floor is out of control.” The letter goes on to highlight some of the events occurring since the floor meeting, “throwing trash on the floor, stuffing paper towels in the sink drain, and throwing up in sinks.” Furthermore, residents decided to “rip down warning signs and trash the entire bathroom.”
And the RA is taking action against the disrespectful behavior by what may seem as the worst possible punishment: charges for the entire floor. The letter concludes with the following: “I feel that this is unfair for the people being charged that haven't done anything wrong but this is outlined in your housing contract...In case this message hasn't been clear enough, everyone is being held responsible the mistreatment of our floor and hopefully the consequences are clear enough for you to stop.”
While the future is uncertain for the rowdy residents of the second floor, I can only imagine that tensions are running high between Broward area government and the residents themselves.
Prankers, watch your back - because you never know when UFPD and Residential Management could be at your door.
Below is the full text of the email:
Attention Floor 2 residents,
I feel like I have talked this subject to death but the bitter mistreatment of our floor is out of control. It may be comical to you to trash a bathroom or hallway but as you will soon find out it is not. You are not the only one to use the floor facilities so you are making it worse for everyone by throwing trash on the floor, stuffing paper towels in the sink drain, and throwing up in sinks. This being said, recently someone decided to rip down my warning signs and trash the entire bathroom. The custodian who cleans our bathroom each day feels completely disrespected and the consequences will be charges levied to the entire floor. I feel that this is unfair for the people being charged that haven't done anything wrong but this is outlined in your housing contract. However, if I do find out who is responsible the charges will only applied to that individual. In addition, new bulletins are being put up today and since none of them are interactive this time any damages to these will face the same charges as they are not your property and should not be touched.
In case this message hasn't been clear enough, everyone is being held responsible the mistreatment of our floor and hopefully the consequences are clear enough for you to stop. If not, this will not be my last email of this type.
Respectfully,
XXXXXXXXX
