Rats! -- the scourge of a dormitory

Centuries ago, rats carried the Bubonic plague throughout Europe, destroying two-thirds of its population. And now they've arrived in Stouffer. College freshman Corinna Panlilio, whose room was visited by these shadowy creatures of the sewers at least once several weeks ago, said that she is just now getting over the shock. "I just got too traumatized, and now I'm getting over it," she said. "It is absolutely disgusting," said Wharton freshman Kyoko Kokabu, neighbor and friend of Panlilio, who has also seen rats in her room. Residents of the dorm on the corner of 38th and Spruce said that rats have been sighted several times creeping through the hallways in recent weeks. Kokabu, at least partially, blames the trash and filth generated by Beijing Restaurant and Wawa, both located beneath Stouffer. But apparently, the sewer rodents are no strangers to this dorm. Kokabu said an employee told her that the problem has gone on for many years. "According to the receptionist, Stouffer has had this problem every year," Kokabu said. These rats, seemingly accustomed to life on campus, are brave little varmints, showing no fear of the students whose rooms they have invaded. "Supposedly, these are like domestic mice that are not afraid of humans," Kokabu explained. Phil Nichols, faculty master of Stouffer, empathizes with students who have been forced to share their rooms with these subterranean squatters. But he cautioned against calling the occasional appearance of these rodents an infestation. "I sympathize a lot with someone who found rodents in their rooms, but it is a very localized problem," he said. "It is not an epidemic." Nichols also said that exterminators had already visited the building once this semester. Kokabu herself admits that only certain sections of Stouffer have been singled out by the rats for their rat recreation. "There are a couple of sections that have been pretty bad," she said. However, this does not make her feel any better about the unwelcome house guests, citing the fact that Stouffer is also home to one of Penn's dining halls. "We [Panlilio and she] have meal plans, and we're not too keen on eating in the Stouffer dining hall if it's infested with rats," she said. Kokabu says that the rodents probably entered Panlilio's room through an exposed vent. However, the two have taken precautions to block such entryways. "Our vents are now taped with duck tape," Kokabu said.