As a college student who obsesses over laundry and cleaning everything, I spend an amount of money on it that adds up quickly, especially with the wonderful prices at our school.
To top it off, while I pay $1.75 or $2 for every load in the washer and $1.25 for every load in the dryer, my brother goes to Regis University out in Colorado, where laundry is free. That’s right, free. No need for him to load up to his equivalent of Domer Dollars or search through spare change. While he carelessly pours all the clothes and detergent he wants into a machine on a weekly basis, I’m searching through my change, stacking up my quarters and using a good amount of my paycheck.
We all know that the price tag for room and board is not cheap. On top of that, we have a meal plan that is $14 a swipe — not exactly ideal. I think a good number of us can admit we don’t take as much food as we should for the price we pay. Also, when it comes to laundry, we are on our own. I don’t expect Notre Dame to provide free laundry for students anytime soon, but I do expect them to make an effort to improve it.
I’m going to give full credit to the McGavick-Gayheart platform and say we should be able to use flex points for laundry. Considering all the money the school has (that 11-figure endowment though), it’s frustrating that the University continues to nickel-and-dime students. We should have more freedom when it comes to our flex points, especially considering we are paying for them.
Also, taking it further and going off the ridiculous price for each meal, extra meal swipes we don’t use should be converted to flex points. And it would be great if from there, those flex points could be redirected towards laundry. I know the administration will find this a stretch and laugh at the idea, but it needs to do something about these laundry prices.
For those who are on a budget, the first thing that will be cut is costs for laundry, since it is outcasted from our already expensive room and board and meal plan. It’s just not right that some people have to sacrifice a necessity because our school is too stingy to relinquish anything from its bank. Not to mention it can be a potential health risk.
At this point, it’s just unacceptable. Students, and most importantly the new student body president and vice president, need to hold the administration accountable so student’s financial means do not prevent them from taking advantage of basic on-campus amenities. Simple as that.
