By C.G. Lynch
Mice infestation and faulty ceiling tiles brought Boston Health Inspectional Services to Burstein Hall on Tuesday, Nov. 17, after a call came in from an anonymous student who lives in the building.
Though the health officials on hand refused to be identified or quoted, they submitted a report in the following days. Under the violation incurred by Northeastern -the owner of the building and thus the equivalent landlord – the school was given seven days to alleviate the problems.
In the room, students reported mouse droppings falling from the ceiling and onto the kitchen stove. In addition, mice were described as, at times, “pouring out of the walls” during midnight hours.
“I didn’t think much about Burstein Hall to begin with,” said Greg Marks, a sophomore pharmacy major who lives in the building. “I was basically expecting mice to run around here.”
Last Monday, maintenance workers examined the building, undergoing apartment-to-apartment inspections. During their extermination period, they patched up rodent holes with sheet metal; a process they hope will minimize the problem in the coming months.
As Northeastern erects new residence halls all over campus, many believe that dealing with old halls will no doubt be an issue in the coming year, with the recent announcement of guaranteed housing to middlers. The Department of Residential Life, however, said the problem can be contained.
“Responsibility to deter rodents rests with residents as well as with others,” said M.L. Langlie, the director of Residential Life.
She urged students to follow the Guide to Residence Living, which includes a section on pest control.
“We find that if residents follow these guidelines, their living space remains rodent free,” Langlie said. “Sometimes, if they have a problem with rodents, it is because a neighbor is not following these guidelines.”
In the meantime, Langlie said the physical plant department will work diligently to exterminate the pests.
“As usual, they are very responsive to student concerns in this area,” she said.
But residents of Burstein maintain that factors transcend the mere issue of a clean room.
Ben Macdonald, a sophomore business major and roommate of the student who filed the report to Boston Inspectional Services, said he kept a clean living space.
“We have a pretty damn clean apartment,” he said. “We vacuum four days a week. We have put so many mousetraps out. Considering how clean this place is, it’s really bad.”
