What’s that smell? Hayward College, according to its residents. In a letter to the editor, one student tipped Critic Te Ārohi that the hall has been left with just one functioning dryer for two months and no hot water showers for its 176 residents, welcoming a “barf-inducing B.O. smell which wafts through the halls [...] Please send help.” Naturally, an investigation ensued.
To get to the bottom of this, Critic welcomed the letter’s sender – who signed off the email ‘A Hayward Victim’ and chose to remain anonymous in fear of “the scary warden” – to the office for a yarn. They told Critic that dryer-scarcity has meant students have become “really competitive” over the dryer, turning to creative alternative solutions if unsuccessful, including pinning soggy clothes to cork boards.
An Otago Uni spokesperson told Critic, “In response to the recent letter sent to Critic, we would like to clarify the situation at Hayward College. The warden recently wrote to all residents (prior to the publication of this letter) apologising for the inconvenience caused by having only two dryers available. She had requested additional dryers, and the University has since purchased four new units, which are expected to be installed shortly.”
But one Hayward resident, Simon*, told Critic that only one new dryer had been installed at the time of writing, and the two that had been functioning were beginning to have their own set of problems. Molly*, a frequent visitor to the hall (she didn’t specify for what reasons), elaborated on these, saying that when dryers were opened to check dampness-levels that they don’t start again when the door is closed. “So when your washing is in the dryer and someone checks on it and it’s not ready, it ends up just sitting there wet and eventually being taken out,” she said.
The lack of dryers appears to have exacerbated tensions within the hall, with one resident Connor* stating, “It may have dampened the mood a bit, and our lungs.” Simon said, “I’ve seen people take clothes out of the dryer mid-cycle and chuck them on the floor so they can put their washing in.” Joe also told stories of theft, stating, “We’ve had full baskets of laundry stolen.” Few residents have spoken up about the thefts, and the issue has been left unaddressed by staff despite some complaints by residents.
With theft and the prospect of dry clothes an uncertainty, students have taken to doing most of their clothes drying in individual rooms. As well as using their corkboards, Hayward freshers have gotten an early taste of flatting life, it seems – laying clothes on heaters and crafting makeshift drying racks. This is despite residents apparently being “warned not to do that” by staff. “Personally I’ve just bought a bunch of clothes so I have more time between washes […] but there’s people, like, pinning their clothes up on the pin boards […] people hanging clothes up on their heaters,” said Joe.
And the dryers aren’t the only thing stinking up the hall. It’s been repeatedly alleged to Critic Te Ārohi that “the showers aren’t heating as well, either, so everyone reeks.” Our news-tipper said that the water temperature has decreased throughout the year, with temperature being floor dependent and “usually lukewarm.”
Speaking to the shower issue, Simon said, “It’s based on the time of day. It’s hot for an hour at the start of the day and hot for an hour at the end of the day.” Smells, however, may just be for those with sensitive noses, with Molly saying, “I’ve never noticed any strange smells other than the usual first year hall smell.” Another frequent visitor (did Critic unintentionally inspire food-pinching hall frequenters?) Sarah* said, “I never noticed a smell ngl, I just noticed my friends using clothes racks in their room instead.”
The Uni had this to say: “Regarding the issue of hot water, we conducted tests over two days last week and found no heating troubles with the showers. We are also not aware of any “repulsive aroma” and no residents have reported this issue to the college. We encourage any residents with any concerns to speak to the Warden. The University is committed to ensuring a safe and comfortable living environment for all our residents and will continue to monitor and
address any concerns that arise.”
Smell or not, Hayward are thrashing against their chains, with the promise of fixes coming too little too late according to them. “We’ve been putting up complaints and nothing has been done. I’ve heard a lot of complaints about the shower […] it’s been months,” said the news-tipper, saying it’s been “agony”.
Speaking to the dryer fiasco one Cumberland student reacted, “That’s pretty poor from the hall […] there should be some basic standards.” Her friend followed on from this: “Cumby wasn’t that nice, but at least everything worked pretty well.” OUSA President Keegan Wells also commented on the issue: “There’s an expectation when you pay all this money to have the proper facilities.” Following on from this, Political Representative Liam White told Critic, "The University blanket doesn't buy enough dryers, I've never seen a college with enough dryers, and people are going to complain [...] when students pay 20k a year, there should be a dryer there, and they shouldn’t have to wait two or three hours for one.”
*Names changed