Undeclared freshman Tiffany Langdon lives in Coronado Residence Hall. Between going to the gym, rushing for Monday chapter and hanging out with her boyfriend Matt, it's hard for Langdon to find time to clean her room. "Sometimes, it gets really bad in here, and I can't even find my Dooney & Bourke bag under all the clothes on the floor, and Matt gets mad at me 'cause he'll come over, and I'm not ready to go out yet 'cause I'm still looking for it, you know?"
Langdon has a good point. Sometimes UA students are just too busy to clean their own rooms. The college experience is about meeting new people from around the country, socializing and developing as a human being, and occasionally going to class. When colleges were first founded in medieval England, you can bet that the University Charter didn't include making students pick up dirty underwear out of the sink.
Conchita - the maid who regularly cleans Langdon's room - goes by her first name only, like "Madonna" or the rapper "Eve." Conchita cleans twice a week, and three times a week when what Langdon refers to as "that time of the month" happens.
Conchita is friendly and efficient. "She's great," said Langdon. "She's always smiling and telling me 'tay oh-dee-o,' which means 'hello' and stuff like that." Langdon said that Conchita also has affectionate nicknames for her like "puta gorda."
"I don't know what she's saying, but she always says it with such a big smile."
Restricting UA students from hiring maids to clean their rooms for the purpose of reducing socioeconomic class tensions totally misses the point. Of all the ostentatious displays of wealth that occur on campus, having your room cleaned is probably one of the most low-profile ways to prove you're rich. By restricting maid services, the UA is also dealing a blow to the market forces of capitalism that define this great nation of ours.
Plus, for UA students who have never cleaned their rooms before, it can be a daunting task.
Mike Krackowitz, a sports media junior, remembers the first time he tried to use a vacuum cleaner: "It kind of ... uh ... sucked." Krackowitz doesn't see why he has to clean his room if he "can just pay to have it cleaned." Krackowitz also doesn't see why he has to write his own papers if he "can just pay to have them written."
Back at Coronado, Langdon's roommate and anthropology freshman Jenny Tomlin agrees that hiring maid service is well worth the investment. In addition, Tomlin, an anthropology senior, sees the social and economic impact of the service on the maids themselves. "OK, Conchita is from some totally poor country, and I give her, like, $5 a day to make my bed and that's, like, almost 100 pesos or whatever."
Tomlin also expressed hope that one day, Conchita would be able to "live the American dream" and "get her leg fixed."
Allowing students to hire maids to clean their dorm rooms is convenient and saves time for the students, and benefits the service industry workers as well. The UA administration is sorely mistaken in its decision.
Rui Wang is a third-year law student. She can be reached at letters@wildcat.arizona.edu.