On March 3, a dryer in Johnson-McFarlane Hall (JMAC) caught fire. None of the proper fire safety alarms went off, according to a Resident Assistant. The dryer was eventually reported to proper fire safety and the situation was handled. There are no sprinklers inside the laundry room. As it stands, only three of the 10 dryers have remained operational in the past weeks since the fire. This causes students to wait for hours to actually do their laundry.
At the beginning of this quarter, JMAC installed a new kitchen in the dorm. The kitchen was not installed with any ventilation system. This causes the room to fill with smoke.
My name is Ian Duran and I am a lead organizer on campus for a club called the Student Union. We have made it our sole goal to uphold student well-being on campus. This event has left us deeply disturbed about student safety on this campus. I write this letter for both the administration at DU and its vibrant community.
The Student Union is calling for the University of Denver to immediately make public acknowledgement of the event. Following a public acknowledgement, we would like to see two actions from the University of Denver.
Administration and HRE must make a statement renewing their active stewardship of necessary campus amenities. No longer can our campus run on defunct washing systems. Laundry is not something that can be overlooked for student well-being.
Although the Student Union recognizes that the University is currently in a contract with the present washing system, this does not mean that management at the University should let our washing devices deteriorate.
The Student Union is shocked at the failed fire safety mechanisms that were demonstrated through this event. Student safety is a bare minimum that the University of Denver must uphold. The University of Denver must immediately have all of its buildings rechecked and must comply with proper fire safety codes.
We write this letter, and will continue to push for these simple demands for the health of our community. If this letter has made you feel passionate about supporting life on campus, please take the time to sign this petition to help our cause.
United we bargain, divided we beg.
