Roof Leaks Annoy First-Years

Residents of the upper floors of a Canaday Hall entryway last week sent letters to top University officials to complain about water leaks in the building's roof.

Canaday G resident Alexander Merlis '96 said he wrote the letter, which was signed by about eight other G entryway residents, to draw attention to the problem. The letter also requested monetary compensation or housing lottery preference for affected students.

"Every single bedroom has leaks of a varying degree," Merlis said. "It's a Canaday-wide problem."

Dean of Freshmen Elizabeth S. Nathans responded to the complaints in a letter sent to the students but rejected their request for compensation.

"Everybody has been working on this. The facilities people are doing everything they can," said Nathans, who also said the students would not be granted preferential treatment in the housing lottery.

Dean of the College L. Fred Jewett '57 provided some hope for future Canaday residents, though, saying major renovations are scheduled to begin in about a year. "It's a structural problem," Jewett said. "It's gotten worse as the building got older. We've had problems with Canaday before."

Eric Engel, the manager of Yard Facilities, said in a letter to Canaday residents that the building is slated to be re-roofed in the summer of 1994.

Although their senior advisor and proctor were sympathetic, Merlis and his roommate, Edward J. Han '96, said they felt that Nathans "brushed us off."

Merlis said he took action when leaks, which began last November, continued to plague his suite. He said the leaks forced him and his roommates to sleep in their common room at one point and generally made it difficult to study for final exams.

Students in other Canaday buildings also expressed frustration with the leaks.

Allyson C. Hawkes '96 said she once returned to her room in Canaday F to find her bed soaked with water. "This is a real problem that I think they should correct [for future residents]," Hawkes said.

Still, Hawkes and other Canaday residents said they were happy with the way maintenance workers have responded to the problem. "They've been keeping on top of it pretty well," said Erin L. Scott '96 of Canaday A.

And most students said the problem has not been as frustrating since workers began to take preventative measures. Workers currently shovel snow from the roofs, replaster areas of ceilings and change damaged mattresses.