Skaptopara 3: needs troubleshooting

Three weeks after the opening of Skaptopara 3 residence hall problems are still emerging in the newest building on campus.

In the second week after its opening, the water heaters broke down and Skaptopara 3 residents did not have hot water for two days. "The electricity shut down on Saturday [January 22] in [the whole] area. This caused the heaters to malfunction. [The company] replaced them with more powerful ones," Iliyan Stamatov, residence hall director of Skaptopara 3, said.

Many students noticed the absence of electricity plugs in bathrooms. "Everybody complained about this," said Stamatov. "It is not a pre-established safety measure. They just did it like that. Now there is a worse situation because the residents use power extension cords, which are more dangerous if they get [wet]," he added.

Students also complain about the absence of a printer in the computer lab, and Wi-Fi in the main lobby. "Each time I have to print out something I have to go to [the] other Skaptos [...]. It consumes unreasonable amount of time, especially because computer labs in Skapto 1 and 2 are full of people," student Raman Shalupau said, The printer is going to be installed in the middle of February, Plamen Ivanov, residence hall computing manager, said.

Ivanov could not give an exact date for the installation of a wireless network access. "[Residence assistants] are just sitting down [at the front desk] and can't do anything, their homework or anything else," Stamatov said.

"At least one of the lobbies, if not all of them, are going to have wireless. It is just not done yet," Dean of Students Lydia Krise, said.

Besides the printer and wireless, Skaptopara 3 is lacking a gym and a canteen.

"Even if we had a canteen, the prices would be as high as in the other Skaptos, so it doesn't really matter. Anyway, we have a machine downstairs where we can buy a croissant or chips," Shalupau said. "There is no gym, but you can't have everything I guess," student Kirill Fedorov said. The gym will be included in one of the other Skaptopara 3 blocks, Stamatov said.

The hall lights have a master switch controlled from the reception. "For now what we are doing is not official, nobody told me how to proceed about the lights. We shine the halls on every floor. But when some students start watching TV, they ask me to shut down the lights and leave only the temporary ones," Stamatov said. "If you want to study, you can turn on the lights in the study rooms. Each has an individual switch," he added.

On the other hand, study lounges in Skaptopara 3 are sound proofed, Stamatov said." In Skapto 1 and 2 it is really hard to study in the lounge because so many people are passing by. Here you can actually study," Fedorov said.

Skaptopara 3 offers students the comfort of living with only one roommate. "The rooms are big enough for two people. [...] It actually motivates me to study, " student Sergiu Barajin said. "Finally I have a bed that doesn't have a second one on top of it," student Anna Akhmetova said.

Benefits of living in the new building surely exist, but there are still problems to be solved and adjustments to be made.

"It's the same kind of thing that happens when you open any new building. It just does not work the first week," Krise said. "Trust me, they were still doing the programming on the doors a day before the students moved in," she added.