Towels, shirts and pants, oh my! I have never met someone who likes having to spend money on their dirty clothes. Many students who live in residential halls know the struggle of paying to do laundry each week. But things may be changing soon. 
The idea to get rid of laundry fees was first proposed by members of the Freshman Leadership Council, which brainstorms ideas to make campus life better for students. 
 Most recently, there is a survey spreading around the University to see what the students themselves think about the proposed measure. It seems many agree that the cost of laundry should be free or included in the residential hall fees.  
Personally, as someone living in the dorms, I agree that paying for laundry each week adds up. Each wash and dry separately costs $1.25. Usually, with towels and clothes and everything, I wash about three loads each week. Although that might not seem like a lot, it averages to $20 a month. 
I am fortunate to live close enough to drive home some weekends to do my laundry. For those who live out of state, the cost of laundry is even more of a struggle. I would also not mind paying it as much if the machines actually worked. I, along with many others, often find that the dryers do not work on just one round. When I come to get my laundry, sometimes it is still wet. I then have to pay for another round in order to make sure everything is dry. 
Some students living on campus feel they should not have to pay for their laundry at all due to the price they are paying to live on campus. But as the wise artist Blondie once sang, “One way or another, they’re gonna find ya.” Even if the laundry fee is taken away, I believe the University will implement the fee somewhere else. 
If students do have to pay for laundry, I would rather the fee be put into the cost of living. To me, paying for it once gets it over with. If this were the case, students would not have to constantly worry about finding change or adding TigerCASH to their card week after week just to wash their clothes. 
Another thing to keep in mind is that it is mandatory for all freshmen that live outside a 50-mile radius to live on campus. In most off-campus apartments, laundry is either covered in the utilities or free. Here on campus, we do not have that benefit, and we are already paying much more for our living spaces. Those in charge should take this into account in the future.  
As I am sure we have all heard before, nothing in life is truly free. I, for one, am fine paying the cost for laundry, but I think it should be implemented differently. The University and students who live on campus should come together to discuss what is the easiest way for students to pay. A compromise where the cost for laundry still remains, but student have the option to pay for it all at once, or for each load.  
Elizabeth Crochet is an 18-year-old political communication major from New Orleans, Louisiana.