Students returning to Dartmouth have more to complain about than just cold weather this year, with laundry prices increasing 25 cents on each load after the College installed new machines across the campus.
It is the first increase in laundry prices in seven years. Washing and drying used to cost $1 each.
Mac-Gray Corporation provided the machines and several new card readers in exchange for an extension of seven years on the current laundry contract with the Office of Residential Life. ORL and Mac-Gray will split the increased revenue.
The money gets "folded back into the buildings, paying for things like electricity," Director of Residential Operations Woody Eckels said.
Eckels is confident students will accept the price increase and appreciate the environmental benefits of the new machines, which ha said save water and electricity.
"We talked to a lot of students to see if they would mind. The unanimous response was that it's okay, as long as they can still charge it on their card," he said.
But, The Dartmouth found several students who were unhappy with the change. When informed of the price increase, Pierce Perotti '06 resorted to profanity to express his disapproval.
"They're [The College is] taking more of my money. They're just finding more ways to do it," Perotti said, adding that food prices keep going up.
Sarah Myers '07 agreed.
"Any price increase is bad. Dartmouth is already overcharging us on things we don't need," Myers said.
Not all affected by the change are upset, however. The new machines have been considered for years after suggestions from the Student Assembly and the Environmental Conservation Organization, which requested more environmentally friendly washers and dryers. ORL was already investigating the idea at the time.
"We are predicting we will save two million gallons of water a year," Eckels said.
According to Mac-Gray Regional Account Director Dean Boudreau, the recently installed Maytag Neptune washing machines use about 50 percent less water and about 35 percent less electricity.
The new machines can also fit more clothing and require less detergent, officals said. Students only need to use two tablespoons of liquid or one cup of powder to run a load of laundry.
"It's about 30 percent bigger so you can fit more clothing in. They just clean better than a top loader because they spin horizontally. They clean more efficiently with half the water," Boudreau said.
Some students are looking forward to the increased efficiency of the new laundry machines, which they feel merits the increased cost.
"It's going to save two million gallons of water. I think that's a worthy cause and it's worth the increased price," Ali Galasso '07 said.
Many students agree that saving water and energy is worthwhile. "I'm happy that the extra money is going to technology that will help the environment," said Shinen Wong '07.
As part of the new contract, Mac-Gray has installed card swipes that accept DASH discretionary funds in 15 smaller residential buildings, including college-owned Greek houses and affinity houses, where students previously could only use quarters.
Although only half of the card swipes were working as of Tuesday, Mac-Gray will be working through the rest of the week to get them all working as soon as possible.
However, some students will remain largely unaffected by the change.
"It doesn't really matter much to me," said Will Hiltz '05. "I only do laundry once a term."
