Students react to RA's testimony about University Housing

Opinions of how University of Nebraska-Lincoln Housing handled a situation involving one RA and multiple bedbugs varied largely across the campus Tuesday.

Some were in full support of senior meteorology-climatology major, Amanda Wekesser — the Selleck 8200 resident assistant who said she had been asked to hide her room's bedbug infestation from residents. Others condemned Wekesser for speaking out.

Ashley Schlake, a junior advertising major, said Housing handled the situation poorly.

"In college, a student expects to be treated like an adult," Schlake said. "So they deserve to know what's going on."

Michaela Hough, a freshman English major, agreed, saying that bedbugs are a health concern and should not be kept hidden because students have the right to know.

"There are a lot of things I like about this university," she said. "I hate to see such a seemingly simple maintenance issue come up like that."

Some students used numbers to make sense of the situation.

Chris Langenberg, a junior sociology major, said students pay a lot of money to go to the university.

"We deserve a chance to have our services brought to use," he said.

Other students defended Housing.

"I understand that bedbugs are a serious issue, but I think that some people are kind of freaking out about it; overacting," said Logan Hepp, a sophomore physics major. "I feel like the university is doing a pretty good job keeping it under control."

Hepp said in the Daily Nebraskan article it didn't sound like Housing was forcing Wekesser to keep quiet and that she could have told her residents about the bedbugs in her room.

"I think she was overreacting, as well, to the Housing staff wanting to keep it under wraps," he said. "I understand where the Housing staff is coming from."

Wekesser said on Tuesday she did not regret her decision to come forward.

"I'm a role model for my floor," she said. "They entrusted me with 30 to 40 girls, to be a leader for them. If I'm not doing that and not being true to myself and not being open and honest with them when it's my room, then that's not a role model."

Wekesser didn't want to be in a situation where she would have to tell her residents that she let them down.

"I still fear my job," she said. "I did the right thing, as far as where I thought the right thing was concerned. Whether Housing thinks that is another story. My decision is something I can live with."

In response to the Daily Nebraskan's Tuesday article, University Housing is hosting a media briefing Wednesday morning. Housing administration will be present for the gathering, said Kelly Bartling, news manager for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Bartling said Sue Gildersleeve, director of University Housing, will attend the briefing in the Van Brunt Visitors Center at 10 a.m. Gildersleeve left for an undisclosed conference Monday and was not scheduled to return until Feb. 6. She came back Tuesday evening.

franniesprouls@dailynebraskan.com

Quotes from campus

"Even though they don't want us to freak out, they should tell us."

—Kirsten Leas, freshman chemistry major

"I'm a little disappointed in the RA ... Her employers told her to keep quiet. It seems like Housing was trying to do all they could."

—Tyler Gruttemeyer, senior music education major

"What would they gain from (not informing residents)? That's the question everyone's asking. It's the million-dollar question."

—John Ruelas, junior biology major

"It's a betrayal by the university. Residents have a right to know if it's their property that's going to be damaged."

—America Ornelas, a child, youth and family studies major