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University Housing is now doing everything it can to remedy what has become known as "the bedbug situation."
As students, we thank you — and Spots.
But as journalists, bedbugs have never been the issue. The issue at hand for us is apparent lies.
First: We have been told by many resident assistants, anonymously for fear of losing their jobs, that Housing tried to "keep the situation contained," as reported in a Jan. 25 Daily Nebraskan article.
Selleck 8200 RA Amanda Wekesser came to us out of what she explained was a moral obligation. Although she brought a live bedbug to Facilities and killed others, Housing reported that there was one dead bedbug in Selleck. This wasn't true.
Another instance: Keith Zaborowski, at Wednesday morning's media briefing, said, "Whether it's an RA or a student, our protocol with them has always been it's your choice what you choose to disclose ... I can tell you I have never instructed anybody to say anything different."
According to many RAs too intimidated to speak with attribution, Housing instructed them to keep the bedbug situation quiet, which is corroborated in Wekesser's email exchanges with her residence director, Corrine Gernhart. Wekesser is the only RA that has come to us prepared to speak on the record about the issue, specifying Gernhart initially asked her to lie to her residents — to tell them that her room was having repairs, and that's why she had to move out. Gernhart wasn't present at Wednesday morning's media briefing, and has been otherwise unavailable for comment.
The Daily Nebraskan wants to know why Housing didn't publicly disclose information about the bedbug situation the instant anything was known. The first bedbugs were found on Jan. 6. The Daily Nebraskan wrote its first report about the bedbugs on Jan. 13. The first announcement from Housing didn't come until Jan. 20 — one week later.
We want to know why Gernhart asked Wekesser to lie about the situation at first. We want to know why Housing has accepted no responsibility in a failure to communicate with students at first. We want to know why Housing hasn't commented directly on the emails or Wekesser's testimony.
We respect that Housing now asks students to be its "eyes and ears" in the bedbug situation. We only wonder why it took so long to ask.
Earlier this week, the DN submitted a public records request for all emails sent to or from Housing regarding bedbugs since the beginning of winter break. We hope these emails, along with further interviews throughout the coming days, will provide concrete answers to these questions that affect all students.
opinion@dailynebraskan.com