Freshman's Laundry Strike Reaches Second Month

WARREN TOWERS—At the beginning of this semester, BU student Marvin Harris (CGS ‘16) refused to do laundry simply out of laziness. Since then, his defiance of basic hygiene has transformed into something much more significant.“I was like, ’$1.50 for a rinse cycle? Not this guy!’” said Harris, pointing both thumbs directly at his chest. Little did he know that his small act of rebellion would snowball into a cause that is now very dear to his heart.“When I really thought about it,” Harris explained,“ it became clear that, as students, we shouldn’t have to do our laundry at all. I came to BU to get an education, meet some cool people and maybe join an a cappella group. I can’t be spending all my time separating whites and colors.”Now, 38 days since his last clean outfit, Harris says he feels more motivated than ever to push onward. “The first few weeks were hard, yeah,” Harris admits. “But then I discovered I could start wearing my underwear inside-out and I was able to buy myself some extra time.”Harris’s roommate, Pete Thorpe (CAS '16), is less enthusiastic about the cause. “It was funny for a while, I guess,” said Thorpe, “but now our room just smells like onions all the time. I washed my clothes twice this week but they still smell like onions just from being in there.”Harris, who has not washed his clothes, met cool people, or joined an a cappella group in the past 38 days, is confident that BU administrators will respond to his strike. He suggests implementing a private laundry service to accommodate the student body. “Why stop there?” Harris says. “Bed-making, room cleaning… I’d appreciate a wake-up call every morning, too. Hotels do it, so why can’t we?” Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore declined an interview, sighing heavily upon mention of Harris’s strike.Opponents of Harris’s strike, including his roommate, his suite-mates, and the rest of the people on his floor, don’t expect him to receive any support from the administration. “He’s gotta run out of clothes sometime.” said Thorpe. “I just want my life back.”“I can always send my laundry home and have my mom do it.” Harris said, shrugging.At press time, Mrs. Harris could not be reached for comment.