By JessyAnne Walters
The student body president is drafting a letter to Trevecca administration asking that paper towels be put back in campus dorm rooms.
“If you guys [SGA] think it’s a good idea I was asked to write a letter to administration asking to bring the paper towels back,” Megan Trees said at the meeting.
SGA, the elected-body of students who represent student body concerns on campus, voted 10-5 at a September meeting in support of a letter from SGA President Megan Trees to administrators.
SGA discussed the issue at two consecutive meetings after administrators asked for student feedback.
“Even though paper towels seem insignificant, it’s still a pain to go buy them. And we’ve always had them,” Trees said, who decided to take a vote on the issue after opinion seemed split.
Paper towels, which used to be available in dorm supply closets, were removed from all dorms this year. It’s a move that administrators said saves the university $9,000 a year.
The money saved is part of an overall plan to spend dollars wisely and keep tuition costs as low as possible, said David Caldwell, executive vice president for finance and administration.
Caldwell said a significant amount of abuse and waste was reported regarding paper towels because they were so readily available.
Some students said it’s a burden to have mandatory cleaning checks and no available paper towels.
Adapting to new ways of doing things is part of college life, Caldwell said.
“It’s kind of part of life. You want to have a clean bathroom, so you clean it on your own,” he said. “Part of college is, is sometimes it’s the first time you’re away from home so there’s a whole lot of habits you have got to pick up and develop.”
Students have differing opinions on the issue.
Sammuel Bell, a senior, said Trevecca students should be worried about bigger issues.
“I think its very juvenile and really not an issue, because you can take an old rag and use it over and over. Then wash it and use it again, or go to Wal-Mart and buy your own [paper towels],” he said. “Because if you have an iPhone and you’re complaining about one dollar – one hundred cents – then there’s not a real issue here.”
Jess Long, a senior, said she’s not too concerned about it, but it does make it difficult to clean.
But, some students are annoyed by the change, they said.
“Have you ever tried to dry your hands with toilet paper?” said junior Paige Baugher.
The letter will be drafted by Megan Trees and sent to David Caldwell expressing students concern.
Caldwell said the administration is always open to feedback.
“Let’s see what feedback is. Anytime you make a change people that weren’t used to it before don’t know any better and people that have experienced the change it’s a problem,” he said. “We’re never trying to be difficult; what we’re trying to do is be the best stewards of the dollars that we have to spend.”
