Weak showerheads, poor drainage, unresponsive valves—if you have had any of these issues in the shower, you can find all three at the University of Hartford’s dormitories.
A majority of shower facilities at UHart have been outdated since the opening of Regents (1988), Park River Apartments (1989), and the Neighborhoods in 2006. While the dorms of Hawk Hall and the recently renovated Village Apartments have more modern showers, occupancy is limited by first–year status and pre–made roommate groups. This means that for most students, the image above is their reality. Cone–like showerheads with the water pressure of a lawn sprinkler are used in Regents and Park River. The Neighborhoods have bathtub drains that constantly require residents to remove their hair with paper towels. Finally, all three dormitories occasionally suffer from valves that will not turn on warm water.
While conditions could be better, some students have certainly made it worse.
Trash has been piling up rapidly—and it’s not all paper towels (which no one seems to crumple up.) Fountain drinks, Starbucks cups, and other food-related containers/wrappers can be found. The only solution we have is to wait for a custodian or push it down ourselves.
While millions of dollars have been spent towards renovating academic and residential buildings, the lack of spending for the older facilities shows. The majority of students live in these dormitories—the same ones with consistent water leakage, infestations, and mold. I can only hope that the new leadership for UHart can address these long–running issues.
