Noise is one of many problems which are creeping up at Concordia’s residence on Loyola Campus, Hingston Hall.
While residence authorities are not happy with the inconsiderate and irresponsible behaviour of students living in the residence, students on the other hand complain of inadequate residence facilities.
Coordinator of Residence Life, Jeff Peters, said the university tries to create a family environment at residence, but some students tend to be very
inconsiderate and disrespectful to the interest of others especially when it comes to the issue of noise.
Noise is the biggest problem they face, he said. Some students usually play loud music especially at night without considering the fact that other residents
might want to study in their private rooms or in the residence study room.
He said he does not dispute that students can play and listen to music in their rooms before quiet hours – which usually starts at 11 p.m. – but still, they should not do this with total disregard to the interests of the others. Students should remember primarily that Concordia’s residence is an academic institution, Peters said.
According to him, the residence handbook outlines the code of conduct, with most of the rules and regulations rallying around respect and responsible behaviour.
He described residence rules and regulations as being “fair to students” in terms of their freedom. “As much as we don’t want it (residence) to be a jail, we don’t want it to be a zoo. That’s the big thing,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of noise, Paul Murphy, Residence Assistant, said that several complaints were received from students who say they find it very
distracting. However, he said the complaints are not often made at the time a disturbance is in progress, but rather a day or two after.
On the other hand, students living in residence complain that residence authorities are not doing much in terms of available facilities. Though they say electricity is no problem, they have problems with the heating system, the washrooms and the maintenance of facilities.
Whitney Brown, a student who lives in Hingston Hall, said the heating system is not effective in the building.
“Heat! We’re suppose to get it but not all of us do. It gets pretty chilly this time (winter) around and some of us can hardly feel comfortable here,” she said.
Students complained that residence authorities do not respond quickly when it comes to maintenance issues, such as fixing broken windows. They expressed the
desire to see a change in this regard.
Another major concern for residents is the washrooms. They commend the authorities for keeping them in a clean state but complain that soap dispensers
in the washrooms are rarely filled for use.
With regard to the security situation in the residence, Peters said there is no cause for alarm. Access to the building is limited only to residents who have a
key to enter the building. Strangers can only enter in the company of a known resident, he said.
“The building is safe as long as the people living here make it safe. Students should stop propping doors open with objects,” he emphasized.
Though Peters said that residence security has improved in the last two years, he added he wanted to see a few changes made, especially the installation of a
camera at the main entrance of the building. He said this would allow increased surveillance by university security, particularly for the parking lot behind the residence, which is usually very dark at night. The lighting system also needs to be improved to increase visibility, he said.
According to him, the university is considering residence expansion because of the limited space. The residences are filled every year, with priority given to students from other Canadian provinces and international students. Three hundred applications are sent out each year and they get 250 back.
Vice-Rector (services) Michael Di Grappa said Concordia is developing plans towards providing residence facilities for “graduate students, possibly couples,” unlike Hingston Hall which is uniquely designed to accommodate undergraduate students.
In this regard, he said, the University has purchased the Jesuit Residence on Loyola campus from the Jesuit community at the cost of $2 million. Payment is
being made over a period of three years during which the current occupants (Jesuit community members) are expected to vacate the building to find alternative accommodation, he explained.
While residence authorities are not happy with the inconsiderate and irresponsible behaviour of students living in the residence, students on the other hand complain of inadequate residence facilities.
Coordinator of Residence Life, Jeff Peters, said the university tries to create a family environment at residence, but some students tend to be very
inconsiderate and disrespectful to the interest of others especially when it comes to the issue of noise.
Noise is the biggest problem they face, he said. Some students usually play loud music especially at night without considering the fact that other residents
might want to study in their private rooms or in the residence study room.
He said he does not dispute that students can play and listen to music in their rooms before quiet hours – which usually starts at 11 p.m. – but still, they should not do this with total disregard to the interests of the others. Students should remember primarily that Concordia’s residence is an academic institution, Peters said.
According to him, the residence handbook outlines the code of conduct, with most of the rules and regulations rallying around respect and responsible behaviour.
He described residence rules and regulations as being “fair to students” in terms of their freedom. “As much as we don’t want it (residence) to be a jail, we don’t want it to be a zoo. That’s the big thing,” he said.
Commenting on the issue of noise, Paul Murphy, Residence Assistant, said that several complaints were received from students who say they find it very
distracting. However, he said the complaints are not often made at the time a disturbance is in progress, but rather a day or two after.
On the other hand, students living in residence complain that residence authorities are not doing much in terms of available facilities. Though they say electricity is no problem, they have problems with the heating system, the washrooms and the maintenance of facilities.
Whitney Brown, a student who lives in Hingston Hall, said the heating system is not effective in the building.
“Heat! We’re suppose to get it but not all of us do. It gets pretty chilly this time (winter) around and some of us can hardly feel comfortable here,” she said.
Students complained that residence authorities do not respond quickly when it comes to maintenance issues, such as fixing broken windows. They expressed the
desire to see a change in this regard.
Another major concern for residents is the washrooms. They commend the authorities for keeping them in a clean state but complain that soap dispensers
in the washrooms are rarely filled for use.
With regard to the security situation in the residence, Peters said there is no cause for alarm. Access to the building is limited only to residents who have a
key to enter the building. Strangers can only enter in the company of a known resident, he said.
“The building is safe as long as the people living here make it safe. Students should stop propping doors open with objects,” he emphasized.
Though Peters said that residence security has improved in the last two years, he added he wanted to see a few changes made, especially the installation of a
camera at the main entrance of the building. He said this would allow increased surveillance by university security, particularly for the parking lot behind the residence, which is usually very dark at night. The lighting system also needs to be improved to increase visibility, he said.
According to him, the university is considering residence expansion because of the limited space. The residences are filled every year, with priority given to students from other Canadian provinces and international students. Three hundred applications are sent out each year and they get 250 back.
Vice-Rector (services) Michael Di Grappa said Concordia is developing plans towards providing residence facilities for “graduate students, possibly couples,” unlike Hingston Hall which is uniquely designed to accommodate undergraduate students.
In this regard, he said, the University has purchased the Jesuit Residence on Loyola campus from the Jesuit community at the cost of $2 million. Payment is
being made over a period of three years during which the current occupants (Jesuit community members) are expected to vacate the building to find alternative accommodation, he explained.
Comments are closed.