Faulty dryer in Carnegie Hall damages student clothing

At Maryville College, students expect the basics of residence life to work: heat in the winter, lights that turn on and, ideally, dryers that do not burn holes through their clothes. 

For several Carnegie Hall residents, that expectation fell short.

Carrie Jones (‘28) said the issue began at the end of the fall 2025 semester. She regularly used dryer No. 69, the bottom middle machine, because it was the most convenient and, until then, had never caused problems.

“In November, I began to have issues,” Jones said. “It left black burn marks on my clothes and melted any that had elastic. It also produced holes in some items.” 

Among the damaged clothing was a white button-down shirt she had just purchased for a new job that required a specific uniform.

Initially, she assumed the problem may have been user error. She had been drying clothes on high heat to speed up the process and wondered if the setting had finally caught up to her. After replacing the shirt, she tried the same dryer again on a normal heat setting.

“It burnt my clothes again. I had to buy yet another shirt for my work uniform,” Jones said. 

Jones estimated she spent between $60 and $80 replacing work shirts alone. Altogether, she believes at least $100 worth of clothing was destroyed beyond repair.

Her roommate experienced similar issues, which ultimately led Jones to stop using the machine. However, she never formally reported the problem. 

“Honestly, it felt like another thing that would not be fixed even if it were reported,” Jones said.

According to Associate Dean of Students Daniel Roselli, the college first became aware of concerns about laundry machines on Jan. 19, after receiving an email from a student who reported a similar experience with the dryer. Two additional emails followed on Feb. 6, along with one report made in person by a resident assistant.

“It was unfortunately never reported through the campuswide residential maintenance form and only via email,” Roselli said. He added that the initial emails did not specify which machine was causing the issue, even after Residence Life asked for clarification. 

Because multiple machines were mentioned and no specific dryer was identified, Residence Director Dione Simmons submitted maintenance requests for all Carnegie dryers to CSC ServiceWorks, the college’s contracted laundry provider, on Feb. 6. On Feb. 9, the college received service notifications stating the machines had been repaired. 

“At this time, Residence Life has not received additional concerns,” Roselli said. 

Under the housing agreement signed by all residential students, the college assumes no liability for loss or damage to personal property within residence halls and encourages students to purchase private renter’s insurance.

“We do not directly reimburse students,” Roselli said. “We point them to the CSC because they would handle any reimbursements.”

While some students have expressed concern about needing receipts for reimbursement, Roselli said receipts are not explicitly required. Instead, students must provide detailed information about each damaged item, including brand, description, approximate purchase date and cost. 

For students in need of immediate assistance, the Scots Supplies closet offers free amenities, including some clothing items. 

Still, for Jones, the issue feels larger than a single appliance.

“I can understand the College not being able to reimburse everyone,” she said. “However, there should be more action to fix it, and many things on campus.” 

She questioned the priorities behind campus improvements.

“The College can build an $80 million new science building, but not have working dryers for residents?” Jones pointedly asked.

Her frustration reflects a broader concern about student life infrastructure, the small, everyday systems that shape residential experience. While the dryers in Carnegie have reportedly been serviced, for some students, the damage, both financial and personal, has already been done. 

And for residents balancing jobs, classes and tight budgets, even a single burnt shirt can feel like more than just laundry gone wrong.

Carnegie dryer No. 69, bottom middle, which has since been repaired, destroyed clothes (Photo courtesy of Carrie Jones)