Via City Room.
John Jay College of Criminal Justice has closed the North Hall building and will hold an information session today at 2 p.m., open to the public.
Refusing to call it a bed bug infestation is utterly misguided. They have confirmed the presence of bed bugs on three floors. At what point is this an infestation?
The way to calm fears is to tell the truth. Just tell the truth and give people practical information and tools.
Let’s hope they drop the unhelpful pretense and get down to the practical matters right in front of them.
Holding this meeting is a good step. This is a difficult situation and a big part of what needs to be done is to disseminate clear, rational information. I’m hoping they get this right. The pest control provider will be there to answer questions.
From the president’s update:
Yesterday, we sent a memo to the College Community reporting that a professional inspection by our pest control contractor of certain offices on the first floor of North Hall had confirmed the presence of bedbugs. We undertook this inspection because a number of staff had reported skin rashes and ultimately bedbugs were suspected as the cause of those rashes. Based on the initial results of the inspection of the first floor where those employees worked, we decided to close North Hall over the weekend so that the building could be treated to eliminate these insects. Throughout the day yesterday, the inspection of North Hall continued. At midnight last night, we were informed that the presence of bedbugs had been confirmed in a number of offices on the second and third floors of North Hall. Based on this information, I have decided, after consultation with the University, to close North Hall effective immediately. Classes and other activities will go on as scheduled in all other campus locations. We will move up the treatment schedule from Saturday as a result of these new findings.
I am so sad about what is happening in our city.
UPDATE: The NYT has some details of the meeting. And the Daily News has a photo of the building’s infestation map.
I read the memorandum.. whether they call it an “infestation” or a “condition” is irrelevant I think. The overall description ‘tells it like it is..
I agree that the word “condition” is not the usual descriptor, but people are very conscious of public relations and if they try to soften the language, I can forgive them. The rest of the document gives the impression of concern and action..
I wouldn’t have used that word, but I think we can forgive the sensitivities and sensibilities of others sometimes. Feces, poop, excrement, waste, stools and shit.. all say the same thing, but few would like to use the word “shit” in a p.r. document, and while infestation doesn’t sound as bad as “shit”, well, perhaps for some at the face of this issue, it sounds bad.. Oh, I wish George Carlin was alive to put all of this into a routine.. “Hey, listen Folks, I was a hotel the other day and this bug was biting me and I killed it and took it down to the lobby, and the clerk there, fine young man he was, told me – it’s your imagination we don’t have any bugs in our place. Listen you, I said to him .. i found the bug in the bed, and as far as I am concerned a bug in a bed is a bed bug!!!! It’s not a cricket, or a ladybug, I know what they look like. It didn’t chirp at me, or fly away. And it wasn’t an earwig as it was on my ankle, not my ear, and don’t tell me it was an “ankle bug”..
you can only imagine the routine…
I forgive them for the use of the word “condition” at least ONCE..
Sam
I’ve seen people lament that Shakespeare seemingly had no bed bugs to write about, but now that you mention Carlin there’s the real loss. I still think the John Jay statements are laughable and in general such things do nothing to help the stigma. It’s so simple to say, we have a bed bug infestation and this is how we’re going to handle it. Like they’re in charge and know what they’re doing.