More than 7,000 NAU students live in on-campus housing. If you’re a resident of Allen Hall, you’ve probably noticed the various workers painting walls, taking apart bathrooms and shutting off the water. Whether you live in Allen or not, construction is bothersome.

Recently, Allen has faced several water shut-offs for periodic working times. Each time, a sign has been posted stating Wilson Hall will be open for Allen resident use. But the idea of walking to another hall just to go to the bathroom is ridiculous. The lack of access to facilities was first brought to my attention a little over a month ago when I was bathing in the second floor bathroom. In the middle of my shower, the water suddenly shut off. The water stayed off for several hours, and upon coming back on, the sinks spewed out brown water. That’s disgusting.

I can understand the reason for all of it; Allen showers are not exactly the best and have needed work on isolation valves, but this should not be an excuse for residents to be so restricted from facilities that require daily use. As a student with early and late classes, I am often affected by this because I am home during the work and water shut-off times.

As a resident, I pay somewhere around $4,500 to live in Allen for the year. When broken down, that’s an average of $562 per month. The average studio apartment in Flagstaff goes for about the same but often includes some kind of kitchen space and bathroom. I for one am upset I am expected to pay the same rate as someone living in a studio apartment while receiving significantly less for my money. Another huge access restriction for the girls has been changing bathroom door locks, which has occurred three times now. Each time the locks change, all the girls in Allen have to go to the front desk and exchange keys. Initially, it didn’t seem like such a big deal. But after attempting to get a new bathroom key and being told they had run out and I would have to wait two days for a new set to come in, I was rather peeved. Their suggestion? Use the lobby bathroom or try jiggling the key inside of the lock.

Living here should not be such an inconvenience. As of right now, two of the showers in the only bathroom on my floor are closed for use. Seventy girls trying to use two showers is unrealistic and obnoxious. NAU should have done this work over the summer or should be doing it over breaks. I would never rent an apartment that didn’t have guaranteed access to facilities, especially for the price I pay to live in Allen Hall.

Now I am all for the beautification of the place I call home, but I find it to be rather irritating to have to live through this kind of obstacle on top of the others faced in previous weeks.