Opening of New Dorms Tied to Rat Problem in Meade Heigh
By Matthew McKeown
Capita! Times Editor
A high ranking Penn State
official, speaking on condition of
anonymity, told The Capital
Times last week that the con
struction of the new student
housing behind the Olmsted
Building is a direct result of a rat
problem in Meade Heights.
The source confirmed that
laige rats, some as big as cats or
raccoons, have been infesting
some of the residences in Meade
Heights and, despite everyone’s
best efforts, the problem is only
getting worse.
“It’s bad enough that they
built the residential buildings on
a toxic waste site,” the source
said. “But with the rat situation,
we knew we had to relocate
those students out of Meade
Heights as soon as possible.”
The source said he was pres
sured by higher-ups in
University Park to keep the
rodent infestation quiet to not
alarm parents or alumni.
“I just couldn’t keep such a
horrible thing hidden any
longer,” said the source.
“Too many lives are potential
ly in danger. What if one of those
cat-sized rats bites a student? Do
you know what the liability
would be for this school?”
The rats have been a problem
in Meade Heights for years but
only recently did the situation
become a health hazard.
That’s when health inspectors,
making their usual summer visit
to the campus, began finding
large rodent droppings inside
many of the residences.
Furthermore, health inspec
tors found several dead rats in an
empty residence. They filed a
codes violation report which was
given to Housing and Food
Services, the source said.
“They did get exterminators
right away but the guy [one of
the exterminators] saw one of the
bigger rats and left,” claims the
source. “After that, Housing just
let the problem go.”
Residents have complained of
seeing stray cats and raccoons
rummaging in garbage cans but
little was done about the com
plaints.
“Housing personnel and even
the campus police knew that cats
and coons weren’t making the
mess, it was the rats. And fear
ing getting bitten, they ignored
the complaints,” said the source.
that there is a bad rat epidemic at
Meade Heights.
“I hate walking from my car
into my place,” Kapschull said.
“I never know what the hell is
going to be scurrying along the
driveway,” Kapschull continued.
The anonymous source also
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emphasized that the low number
of students who actually utilize
Meade Heights is not a coinci
dence.
“Each year students tell each
other the problems that Meade
Heights has,” said the source.
“It’s fairly common knowledge
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to the residents that the rat prob
lem will remain until they com
plete the construction of the new
dorms.”
Construction
housing is set to begin soon. The
source said students can expect
the dorm’s opening to be in the
fall of 2001. Until then, si
will have to be extra
walking around Meade I
and especially inside the
new dences.
“You just don’t know
waiting for you over then
the source.