New system introduced to ensure Kitchen Cleanliness.
Starting February 21st, 2025, a log note has begun in the North Hall dormitory public kitchen. The main reason the sign-in sheet was made is due to many dormitory students misusing the dormitory kitchen, causing it to become mucky.
From now on, all students who are using the kitchen are directed to write down their name and time slot on the kitchen log. This will help housing officers keep better track of who is using the kitchen and help to keep the place clean. Additionally, it can help users who left their kitchen tools or ingredients in the fridge track down their items.
A North Hall staff member said, “The kitchen log is not mandatory, but it’s encouraged to sign in. Shared kitchen cleanliness is crucial for a positive living environment. We anticipate this system will be implemented to identify kitchen users and provide cleaning guidance.”
Since the kitchen log has started, the kitchen looks neater and tidier. Ngoc Bao Chau Le, a North Hall resident, mentioned, “This is my first semester in UW-Stout but every day I went to the kitchen in the North Hall, it was too dirty before the kitchen log started. All food scraps spread over the counter, also the drainpipe was clogged due to overflowing food waste. Fortunately, after the log note started, it seems that students have started using the kitchen responsibly as much as they write their names. However, as time passed, fewer people wrote their names on their notebooks, and I hope that everyone will be meticulous about writing them in their notebooks in order to become a cleaner kitchen.”
Fire Alarm Shatters the Night’s Silence.
The fire alarm went off late at night last weekend. It rang from 8:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. on February 23rd, 2025. The reason why the alarm was set off was undisclosed, but according to the Housing office there was no direct threat of fire in the building. The fire alarm usually rang because of the actual fire or the smoke. It could be happened due to the machine malfunction, either.
Some residents, who took a shower over that time, met trouble. Xinzhu Zhang told that “I’m taking a shower at that moment, so little embarrassed. But fortunately, I’m about to get dressed, and it’s warm outside right after I showered.” Following this event, a North Hall staff member informed their residents to, “Please pay attention to prevent these kinds of accidents happen again.”
Dirty Water Causes Ongoing Morning Chaos.
Early in the morning on Monday, February 24, the North Campus buildings lost water service, causing dirty water to flow out of the faucets. All of the shower booths, sinks, and drinking fountains had been contaminated with brown and red water.
The reason why the water sink had a problem is because one of the City of Menomonie’s water mains broke. Yoonseo Song, an on-campus resident, pointed out that “I found the water problem about 10:30 a.m. At first, I doubted my eyes and went straight to the North Hall Housing office for inquiring. But they also didn’t seem to know what was going on. I deeply worried about how I can wash my face and hair. I hope this doesn’t happen again and it’s a relief that the problem was completed as soon as possible.”
Fortunately, the problem solved immediately at that afternoon. While the City is still making repairs, the UW-Stout Housing office strongly anticipated that “No more disruptions will occur. We will struggle to address any remain issues with the facilities management.” The housing office announcement helps residents to deal with morning routines, but there’s still has left to be desired if the announcement had supplied faster.
