Queens’ charges students to live on building site

Around forty disgruntled students who balloted for the high rent band Dokett building were outraged when the Junior Bursar, Robin Walker, told them earlier this week that their accommodation would still be unfinished by the start of term.

The Junior Bursar himself delivered a blistering assessment of the state of the expensive accommodation in an email to Dokett residents.

It revealed that:

• Windows will only partially be complete
• Almost all gyp rooms will be unusable
• Stairs and lobbies will not only be undecorated but incomplete
• Rooms will not be properly furnished
• “Drinking water will be available from the wash-basin taps in the shower rooms”

At least it’ll have good ventilation…

Noisy external works are expected to continue for much of the term with contractors arriving on site from 7:30am each day.

College had expected students to pay as much as £1,500 per term for rooms in the building.

But a furious student reception eventually led Queens’ to propose two alternatives to put to vote:

1. Students would get a 20% discount as long as internal work is unfinished, or:
2. Students would stay in a Travelodge and pay full rent.

Upset students took to a Facebook group to air their grievances. One commented: “20% off per day is taking the piss!

“On my room that’s £3.39, which doesn’t even cover the cost of a buttery meal which we have no choice but to have seeing as there are no kitchens, without taking into consideration all the rest of the disruption.”

Another is worried that “storage isn’t going to be exactly great in a Travelodge room. I don’t particularly like the idea of having to deal with moving all my stuff across Cambridge in the middle of term…”

Cambridge Travelodge: Still prettier than Fitz

JCR President Leyla Sudbury is apparently in intense ‘negotiation’ with Domestic Bursar Babis Karakoulas to get better terms.

Several rebels have boycotted the vote, leading Sudbury to remind folks on the private Facebook group that “it’s a no brainer to have some cash ready masters students in instead, especially given college’s poor financial circumstances at the moment.

“I believe this is the way college are going to try and move in the future (and I actually think it is the reason for the Dokett works – they are intending it to be used by internationals and masters students on the quarterly scheme who can afford nice, en suited rooms all year round).

“What this means is that if we turn around en masse with demands that are very expensive for college to fulfill, or threaten to leave accommodation, college would likely stand to make more money and not less, so they may actually accept that scenario.”

This provoked a frenzy of indignant replies: “If they can, why don’t we just sign an agreement that just says ‘We’re gonna do whatever pleases us, whenever we want. Suck it.’

“At least I would have appreciated the honesty.”

Despite repeated attempts, The Tab was unable to reach College officials for comment at this time.