Barry University

Date: Mar 29 2010
Major: Biology (This Major's Salary over time)
This is my last year at Barry University so I know the school well by now. I graduated from high school with a 4.4 and could have gone to so many better schools, but somehow ended up here. My first semester I tried to transfer, but chose to live a miserable life at barry rather than lose credits by transferring.

My personal experience was horrible. While I feel the science department is good and somewhat challenging, the other staff at Barry is far from helpful. The dorms are always disgusting and resemble rooms of a mental hospital with just a bed, a sink, a broken chair, and a bathroom filled with mold. Everything is in poor condition including a dorm roof that caved in and was left on the ground for an entire year. There is NO parking anywhere on campus. Every parking lot is filled early in the morning, even the overflow lot so people have started to find the craziest places to park. The lawns of neighboring houses have become parking lots!! I don't know why the owners have not complained yet…or maybe they have, but barry does not listen.

Social life at Barry is horrible. There is nowhere to meet new people and no on-campus activities are provided. After class people just get on their cell phones and leave without acknowledging you or anything else. There are no school clubs unless you like to dance or think you are a fake model. It is funny that the biggest club at barry is a modelling club where guys and girls who are far from being models "model" clothes from Wal-mart. The school is definately rascist against caucasians. I submitted an application and attended an interview for a research program to strengthen my resume. From the moment I entered the room they looked at me funny and asked "…and how are YOU a minority?" I was caught completely off guard by the question and told them that I thought anyone could apply. The rest of the interview they did not seem interested and did not listen to my responses, and, in the end, they never called me back.

The biggest and most recent incidents proving how careless the barry university staff is occured this semester. After meeting with the residence coordinator multiple times in useless meetings, I wrote an email to her boss explaining the situation, and he also did not care and provided no help. I feel treated less than a person and there is no one left for me to contact, as i have also contacted the dean (who was no help). After a major mold situation, my psycho latin ex-roomate who is in Barry for her third semester even though she is 22, still a freshmen, and continues failing classes (I have no idea how she is still allowed to be at this university) reported to the school that my boyfriend continuously harrasses her when I have him in the room when he does not even like/talk to her. The school also told me that i was in the wrong because my family/boyfriend/friends/witnesses are not involved and should not be telling their side of the story (what really happened). The only reason that i could think they would listen to her and not even acknowledge me is that i am not a minority. The letter i sent to the school read as follows:

My roommate and I had both reported mold/smell issues numerous times over a span of several months and nothing was ever done. The smell was so horrible that the RA would, after room checks, turn the AC on full blast hoping to get rid of it. This, however, did not work and would make the room into an icebox. Everyday during the end of last semester and the beginning of this semester I would suffer from migraines, nausea, dizziness, and fatigue. I also had a severely swollen throat and could not even eat, drink, or swallow, which was checked by multiple doctors who I am sure would love to talk with you. It was not until I had almost passed out on the floor of my dorm that my boyfriend and I made a scene in front of the RA and finally got a room switch. Immediately the next day, most of my symptoms were already going away.

Afterwards, I had met with an allergist who was appalled by the situation, and who would also be happy to talk with you. He tested my lungs for serious damage from prolonged exposure to an enclosed room filled with mold since I was having such trouble breathing. I met with Erica, whom I think only understood that I had a cough, about this issue in a very unproductive and uncomfortable session that was poorly handled. I had been specifically informed by the people checking the AC that it had been circulating old, moldy air in my room for months. I know that there is mold in every dorm, but anyone with eyes could plainly see a layer of mold growing on our ceiling. I am a paying resident and should not be blamed for the poor and unchecked condition of my room. On top of this, I am a 4.0 pre-med major with an excellent reputation at this university who has completed her degree in only three years. I should not have had to waste all of my time and energy this semester dealing with the school's problems.

Also, my boyfriend and my family are very much involved. They were the ones paying for my room and board, as well as my medical bills. I would hope that they would care about the situation when the school does not seem to be interested in at all. My mother had called requesting that the allergist's bill be rightly and fairly taken care of. In the end, once again, I had just wasted my time with multiple meetings when it could have been blatantly said in one sitting that the school would not pay for what they had clearly done.

This was only the first situation. The second situation with my roommate, however, was "resolved" just as poorly. My boyfriend had called on that occasion, not on my behalf, but seeking someone of a higher source, like yourself or possibly anyone who would be willing to actually do their job and give a small fraction of their time to sincerely listen to other sides of the story, from witnesses, authority figures and even possible colleagues, than just "resolving" an entire issue based on one person's account.

After all that has happened, I do not even stay on campus anymore, but have been staying with my boyfriend. I am never in the room and my roommate felt that, as outrageous as it sounds, because I have been ignoring her and did not say ?happy birthday? to her that she could frame my boyfriend for harassment. My roommate herself had gone to my boyfriend constantly in order to complain about everyone. In case you did not know, the definition of harassment is to ?annoy continually or chronically? or to ?exhaust by attacking repeatedly?. That single text message, which my boyfriend sent to my roommate out of courtesy, stated a fact; there were doubles available. Erica clearly does not know what she is doing because she was the one stating that it was harassment, did not listen to the story and did not care to listen to my witnesses, of which I have plenty. They are not all friends, in case you would think it biased, but have still witnessed her behavior and would be glad to vouch for me.

The fact is that my roommate is the one guilty of slander and harassment, not only to me, but many students on campus. For two years, she has gone behind my back telling my friends lies about me, while telling me lies about every other student. Also, I overheard her myself, saying many nasty things about me when I have said nothing negative to, or about, her. Unlike her, I have younger siblings, and just understood this to be immaturity and have continued to try and live with her respectably, not aware that she would lie to the school who would take her side and kick me out of my own room. Not only this, but she has destroyed my textbook, which I need for this semester. I found it soiled with water and with a hole in the cover when I was moving for the second time. I still have the evidence, but, of course, did not even mention it to Erica, who, knowing her, would probably accuse me of doing it myself.

All in all, I find it unbelievable that this institution tries to evade any responsibility whatsoever. All of these problems have not only affected my health and well-being, but also my grades and my entire future. It has also cost me more than $400 just in medical bills and a ruined textbook. Let me know who you would like to talk with regarding the medical condition, whether it be my RA, one of my doctors, or a lawyer so we can settle this.

Thank you.

As to this day, my boyfriend is banned from any dorms or parking lots, even though he pays and ATTENDS the college. Nothing has been resolved and my medical bill has not been paid. The next step would be suing, if only I had the time and was not graduating.

Therefore, if you like being ignored and disrespected by students and staff as well as constantly cheated out of money barry is definately where you belong!