Move-in strains housing dep't.

A short-staffed Department of Housing and Residence Life struggled to deal with a typically difficult move-in weekend made worse by recent reorganization within the department. Most recently, Residential Security Director Joe Kirk left to take on a position as director of security of the College of Wooster in Ohio. Kirk is the latest dorms official to leave the University, following former Residential Living Director Gigi Simeone and Associate Director of Staff and Programming Zoila Airall, who left Penn for Swarthmore and Bryn Mawr Colleges respectively. "With all the reorganization and resignations –– we are down 13 staff positions –– so we had fewer people doing more work," said Director of Academic Programs in Residence Chris Dennis, who will supervise residential living and programming in the new department this semester. "I was astonished with the professionalism and dedication of my staff members –– some of whom worked 15 hours in a row preparing for move-in," Dennis added. Despite the staffing shortage, everything went smoothly, according to Associate Vice Provost for University Life Larry Moneta. "The management of traffic and the distribution of keys and carts all went wonderfully well," he said. "Some places were a little more ragged than would have liked, but we have to remember that many of these are old buildings we are struggling to maintain," Moneta added. Dennis said one of his main goals this year is to determine the maintenance needs of some of the older buildings. "There are 15 residential buildings –– so there is a lot of work to do," he said. "A minimum of $100 million is needed immediately just to restore the buildings to the way they were when they were built." Those renovations are already beginning with necessary repairs like replacing the roof on Hill College House. "The residences have to match the aspirations of the department," he added. Tracy Feld, Hill House's acting assistant dean in residence, said there were some maintenance problems in the building during move-in, but nothing insurmountable occurred. "There was an occasional light out and bed broken," she said. "But they were addressed pretty quickly." She added that maintenance employees worked around the clock in the days prior to move-in. Although many students experienced a smooth move-in, several encountered rooms that maintenance workers had obviously overlooked. Engineering freshman Peter Capri said he found a hole in his Quadrangle bedroom ceiling and several missing floorboards. "It's been leaking a little bit, but I haven't gotten around to reporting it," he said. And College freshman and W.E.B. DuBois College House resident Alisa Persaud said she and her roommates saw a mouse in their room the first night they moved in, but have experienced no problems since.