Fellow Bantams,

Over the summer we have been working with the administration to address some concerns regarding laundry service. When you return to campus, you will find several changes that either have been-or are in the process of being-implemented. Here is the not so good, the good, and the greener:

(THE NOT SO GOOD) The Price of laundry is increasing and machines will no longer accept quarters:
Since the last price change in the 2000-2001 academic year, energy costs have skyrocketed and the cost of electricity in Connecticut has increased by 86%.  To help offset these added costs, the SGA has worked with the administration to settle upon a modest increase of 8% to $1.35 per laundry machine cycle. Please note: Because we opted for an increase less than a full $0.25, the machines will no longer accept quarters, but rather Bantam Bucks only. We estimate this will affect about 5% of users.  Remember, you can add funds to your Bantam Bucks account on your ID card at one of the three VTS devices located in Mather, the library, and Campus Safety; online with a credit card at http://tcommerce.trincoll.edu <http://tcommerce.trincoll.edu/> ; or by sending a check to the Business Office.

(THE GOOD) New Technology-Manage your laundry online and get a text message when your laundry is done:
Part of the agreement includes a higher level of service to students.  The  school will be installing the latest software technology, known as LaundryView.  This new service will allow you to visit a website that displays the real-time status of the laundry machines.  You can find out how many and which particular units are available, the least busy time of week to do laundry, and even receive a text message on your cell phone when your laundry cycle is done. To view a demo version of this service, visit: www.laundryview.com <http://www.laundryview.com/> .  Work is underway now to install this service, but it will take time to upgrade all of the 20 laundry rooms and the installation will proceed throughout the semester.  As each laundry room comes online, the residents of that building will be notified so that they can take advantage of the service.

(THE GREENER) Sustainability and energy efficiency efforts:
A third component of the laundry system upgrade involves our on-going sustainability efforts.  As a starting point, we have asked the machine vendor to provide a comprehensive inventory of the current laundry machines on campus so that we can better assess our “carbon footprint.”  While many of our laundry rooms already feature the high-efficiency, front-loading washers that use only 50% of the water and energy of traditional top-loading washers, the vendor will also provide a plan for upgrading the remaining washers.  An additional eco-friendly option that we are investigating is reducing the wasted dryer time that often remains at the end of a cycle.

Please feel free to contact us with any questions you may have. If you prefer to contact the administration the best person to contact is David Andres in the Dean of Students Office.

Have a safe trip back to campus.

Best Regards,

Nathan Kirschbaum
SGA President