“The sky is falling!”
- posted: 23 Oct. 2007
- scrollopinion@byui.edu
One Saturday afternoon I was on my way to the bathroom when my roommate informed me we had a hole in our ceiling. As you might imagine, this news was rather distressing.
Reluctantly, I followed my roommate into the bathroom to view the damage, and what I saw made my head hurt. Plaster hung from the ceiling, and when I looked up at the gaping hole above my shower, a drop of water from the spongy mess actually landed in my eye.
I suddenly felt very much akin to Chicken Little, only this was no acorn, and the sky — or at least the ceiling — was literally falling piece by soggy piece into my bathtub. And just like my feathered friend, my cries of, “The sky is falling!” went unheard.
It took until Tuesday for the manager to acknowledge my many messages, and only because I stopped by her office to ask whether she had gotten them. Perhaps I’m irrational, but a leaky hole that is getting bigger each day is not a matter to be ignored. But then in my opinion, neither is a broken dishwasher when I’ve been promised the use of one in my contract.
I have chosen not to mention the name of my housing complex for several reasons. First of all, I don’t know how ethical it would be to take my shots without giving management the opportunity to comment. But more importantly, in my four years at BYU-Idaho I have lived in four different housing complexes and instances like the hole in my ceiling are not unique.
Going without a dishwasher is bad enough, but can you imagine waiting three weeks to have your toilet fixed? I can.
Except for the hole in my wall last semester, maintenance issues such as these are beyond our control as tenants.
It’s quite reasonable that appliances are going to break down and pipes are going to leak, but I feel justified in expecting them to be taken care of promptly.
As for the hole in my ceiling — it’s still there, although the leak has been stopped and the dripping plaster has been cleared away.
My friend, Chicken Little, was unfortunately eaten by Foxy Loxy (at least in the version I read as a child), but I am determined not to let housing managers and owners take advantage of me because I am a student.
I suppose on the bright side, if those-whom-I-cannot-name wait long enough for the bathtub from upstairs to fall through the ceiling, we might get a refund — but that’s doubtful. 
