The unfortunate flooding of the sophomore residence hall, Rashford Hall, and the university’s response to it has left many students disappointed and upset. 

Students were only allowed in small groups to retrieve whatever belongings they could. Items in some rooms were completely ruined, including laptops, iPads, and personal belongings. 

Students in Rashford who were affected will receive $1,000 and a free unlimited meal plan. However, the damage to personal belongings exceeds $1,000 for many, and they feel that the compensation plus meal plan does not begin to cover the expenses of what they lost. 

Affected students were relocated to live in first-year student dorms for at least the remainder of the fall semester. These students are now trying to adjust to living in a completely new environment, some with new roommates, after finally becoming acclimated to living in Rashford. 

Having a stable living environment in college, especially when living on campus, is extremely important. A place to mentally and physically recharge and rest is essential to a student’s ability to thrive. It also helps form a bond between not only roommates, but also with other residents living in the building. The students disrupted by the flooding of Rashford are now finding themselves having to readjust to their housing situation, over a month into the semester. 

We need to hold those responsible accountable. We also need to make sure that the students who lost their rooms are able to recover their semester and still succeed in their classes. Attention needs to be given not just to their belongings, but to themselves as well.