More respect in rez, please

By Hadija Gabunga

Alright, boys and girls. Back to the good life in rez. No, this isn’t about how we’re getting ripped off at the DC, or an insightful piece about another great rez cab where we all had a little too much fun getting drunk and had no recollections of the night. Instead, on a more serious note, what do you know about common courtesy, or in more latent terms what is referred to as "being polite?"

Etiquette in rez has become a myth. As far as I’m concerned, the norm seems to be that as soon you leave home, you leave your manners behind too. Now seriously, what is it about main ground Kananaskis? Why does it always end up looking like a waste dump site; like someone forgot to take the garbage out? Every weekend someone or something gets trashed. Vandalism is everywhere in rez: the most common places are the ground tunnels, elevators, bathrooms, floor lounges and hallways. What in the world urges someone to steal the rez furniture and leave it in the elevators as a practical joke?

The lack of respect and violation of property has turned trad (Kananaskis and Rundle Halls) into a crummy downtown halfway house/apartment. On a regular weekend, yes, people get drunk. But when they start to wander around rez, that’s when people who have way too much time on their hands get "creative," trashing anything that’s not chained down, jumping up and down in the elevators at random hours of the night and getting off on the annoying habit of banging on people’s doors.

This all gets better. With finals coming up, that only means one thing: the inevitable number of noise complaints. I cannot get over how many people in trad go to the study lounge to hang-out and constantly whisper to each other about their favourite Simpsons episode.

The weekends are bad, but the wake-up calls on Monday mornings aren’t exactly much fun either. Ever heard someone horking in the showers? Or who forgets the simplest day-to-day routine like flushing the toilet? It’s bad enough that we have to share bathroom space with complete strangers, but how many of you would put up with toilet paper bits all over the floor or other feminine toiletries left behind for the world to see? And guys, why is it necessary for you to draw obscene caricatures of your private parts all over Kananaskis Hall
tunnels?

Another thing: correct me if I’m wrong, but if you’re not going to like the DC food, why bring it back to your room only to forget the dirty dishes in the lounge, or end up exploring your artistic side with the fake DC mashed potatoes on the tunnel walls?

It seems like most people forget the fact that we actually live here. For the nine months we’re in rez this becomes our home, so yes, "if your mother doesn’t work here, clean up after yourself." And by the way, to whoever pulled the stunt leaving a bike in the elevator, I’m telling your mother about that.

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