Opinions & More
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Opinions & More 〰️
Washer Woes
Greensboro Hall laundry room needs better care
// November 1, 2025
Photo // Scarlett Philips
It’s the end of a very long day — a student attempts to balance a figure drawing board, a mound of electronics, and a heavy backpack on their shoulders. A quick glance at the clock: 6:15 p.m. Freedom at last! And…
Uh oh. Their laundry’s been sitting in the wash for 45 minutes.
It’ll be okay. The thirty minute rule exists for a reason. Plus, students are supposed to text other students before taking out their laundry, just as common courtesy, regardless of the amount of time it has been in there for. Yet… lo and behold… a new pile of just-cleaned clothes is now sitting on a dirty table, with no evidence of who put it there. This spirals into students’ clothes going missing, either stolen or shoved behind some unreachable nook. Some students in particular have resorted to making “Have you seen my clothes?” print-outs and wanted posters with so-called “rewards” for returning them (usually a high-five and a cup of instant ramen). It's an issue that needs to be addressed.
Photo // Scarlett Philips
This is a fate countless Ringling students have faced in the Greensboro Hall laundry room, as the rules of the communal space are rarely followed and the area is only sometimes maintained. Despite it being an established rule to at least attempt communication with a student before transporting their laundry without their knowledge, only some do it, and those who do are often met with a blank label on the machine where contact information is meant to be written with a dry-erase marker. It's already a miracle if someone at least writes their name on the contact sticker, and even more unbelievable if they write a phone number legibly.
However, it's hard to write your name if all of the communal markers have mysteriously disappeared from the laundry room. After being replenished, markers vanish in the span of 24 hours, either stolen or misplaced, with their replacements often being random light colors that make it even harder to read what little is ever actually written. Not only that, but it's hard to actually find the writing utensils when there's random socks scattered all over the laundry tables, and piles of wet clothes.
Greensboro machines themselves are also constantly prone to breaking, leaving giant puddles of water coating the entire floor and a frustrated freshman left to clean it up. The dryers are unkempt at times — bits and pieces of paper towels have been left in the dryers, and the lint buildup is enough to make a housewife wince.
While the Greensboro laundry room provides an accessible and much needed service for students, both management and students themselves need to put more effort into maintaining a space that is usable and convenient for all people — especially considering that Greensboro only has one laundry room, unlike Goldstein Hall, which has one per floor. There have been next to no consequences for those who break the rules, and not nearly enough communal empathy and kindness on behalf of everyone who uses the laundry room. It only takes a few seconds to write down a name and some contact information. There are rules for a reason, and a little courtesy and kindness can go a long way for a student who just wants to clean their clothes — and, if you ever do find a sock missing its other half… turn it in to its owner and earn that cup of mediocre ramen. ✮