The Balance of Environmental Condition in Dormitory UNSOED within Student’s Lifestyle

This issue rose from several problems near the Faculty of Cultural Studies; it was about the environmental condition of dormitory UNSOED. The environment of dorm relates to the students’ lifestyle who becomes the main occupant of the dorm whether the students have got a comfortable and conducive dorm environment for learning, socialization, self-development, and the character building or conversely. In this case, people who live in dorm should create a sense of togetherness in keeping the cleanliness, security, and cooperation in keeping dorm infrastructure. However, those things will be connected with varieties of community issues that create disturbances, such as a low awareness of the occupants in keeping cleanliness of dorm, dormitory facility issues that should be improved, and the performance of the entire dorm occupants in achieving good infrastructure.

Dormitory Perspective

The dormitory established in the middle of July on 2010. It locates at Dr. Soeparno Street, Karangwangkal, Purwokerto, precisely in the middle of UNSOED campus complex or opposite to Soesilo Soedarman field. This dorm consists of five floors which have various facilities as a place to stay for a group of students who are studying in UNSOED within a specific period in order to get educational goals. There are 24 rooms on each floor with a capacity of three to four people per room. For sanitation, it is available with 8 bathrooms and toilets on each floor which are equipped with electricity and water. Then, there are also a living room, multipurpose room, TV room, kitchen, and parking area. The cost of renting room is very affordable for students who come from outside Purwokerto. Student will only pay for Rp.1.500.000 per year. The payment can be paid through a bank account.

There are kinds of different religion, ethnics, and cultures inside the dorm life. This makes the students should be able to create a harmony of life in tolerance, togetherness, and peace. The students’ lifestyle become the spotlight that will contribute to the surrounding environment, especially in keeping the cleanliness of environment in order to create a healthy lifestyle, building a good communication with local people and also participating in maintaining the security in dorm.

Student’s Corner

Wednesday (17/6), four female students who were met in the dormitory were available to do an interview directly. By doing the interview and direct observation could determine the main problems in dormitory. Students shared their own experiences and complaints free during the interview.

 “I have lived in a dorm since 2013 until right now. I come from Cilacap. In my opinion, the renting cost is very cheap. I often get arrears but the dorm party never gives additional charge or fine to me. However, the learning atmosphere in dorm is quite uncomfortable because my room consists of 4 people who come from different departments. Sometimes, the room looks messy. Then, other facilities should be improved, such as water problem that ever damaged in a week. This problem ever leaded to the difficulties in getting clean water, especially for bathing. Sometimes, the water is also dirty and not clear. There are only several bathrooms on the 1st and 2nd floor which have its functions properly and on the 3rd floor the bathroom clogged. In addition, we also get a shortage of land for drying our clothes. We only use the balcony for drying. Even though, it is already provided a spot for drying the clothes on the 1st floor but it is too far from my room. I am lazy to go there.” say Dwi Oktaviani, Biology, (2013).

Besides Dwi, there were 3 other students who shared their experience during staying in the dorm. Second, there was Ruri Nur Saswori, Biology (2012). She explains, “I feel happy staying in this dorm since I studied in UNSOED on 2012. Luckily, I only live with my one roommate, so I feel very comfortable and conducive.  However, there are several things that must be improved, especially for the dirty, unclear, and dysfunctional water problem which makes us feel uncomfortable. Not only that, the cracked floor also must replace into the newest one. I hope the cleanliness of bathroom will be improved too although there is a per-block schedule to clean the bathroom. Even there will be student who has to do her schedule, but if she does not do her duties, she must pay Rp.5.000,00 as a fine. Furthermore, the money is used for buying other equipments. The fines will be taken by the treasurer per block. Of course, I will not get any fine or charge if I pay late for the renting cost.”

The next opinion will be explained by Umi Fadhillah, Biology (2012). Umi pointed to the performance of dorm superintendents. She said that she complained about the existing security guard in the dormitory. In her opinion, the securities did not do their duties optimally than in the previous year that they did the duties better. Also, the performance of receptionist decreases now. She said that there were few of them who moved to elsewhere. Then, she also stated other points which related with the dorm, such as the bathroom and water problem. It still becomes the major problem even it often organizes annually. However, there is no any further realization of this bathroom cleanliness. Thus, the atmosphere in her room is very conducive because she thinks that her room is soundproof; I love staying here.

Last, Laili Uswatun Nadlifah who is as an English Literature student (2013) states, “I only lived in dormitory for 6 months. I decided to move because of a few things that made me felt uncomfortable staying in the dorm, especially in its cleanliness. First, I felt little bit confused why many of them were lazy to keep the cleanliness even the occupants were girls in this dorm. Second, the water problem was the reason why I moved. Water tended to dirty, yellow, and not clear. These condition made my face got acne. Then, if there was a blackout, automatically the water did not work well, so that made me hard to get water for bathing. It can be suffered in a week. Terrible! Third, the floor was also dirty because cats played along the hallway free and it tented to drop the trash. The lack awareness among of occupant to clean up the trash was very terrible. Forth, the thing which made me frightened was there were many insects which are called as 'Tomcat'; it was quite dangerous insect for my skin; it stuck on the walls. I shuddered seeing it. Last, the bathroom facility became the reason why I moved because some of bathroom doors broken, especially for the bathroom door on the 2nd floor. In addition, dirty bathroom atmosphere also made me feel uncomfortable.”

     Someone cannot lie about the inadequate public facilities, such a dormitory. Students who live in the dormitory feel about the dorm condition obviously. The interview and investigation stated clearly about the dorm environment today. As an occupant, students shout their own right to ask about the new dorm infrastructure. It concerns to water problem, bathroom recovery, superintendents improving, and how to build student awareness into healthy environment. Students think that how a comfortable the dorm will if the dorm parties renovate some dorm facilities, such as changing the water drainage into the clean, clear and good functional water for sanitation, renovating bathroom facilities into comfortable bathrooms, and asking for superintendents performance. Besides that, other students also suggest to creating student awareness in keeping the dorm environment, especially for clean living. The things can be achieved if all parties take their own role to create a harmony of life in dorm. In addition, timely payment system will be affected to the improvement of dorm infrastructure in order to get convenience dorm for students.