College or Kindergarten?

First, I want to wish people in New Canaan and Stamford good luck with the storm/power issues. I hope you all get power back soon - that way you can read my blog! Just kidding, but I do hope you get power soon, and in the mean time make sure you eat all the ice cream in the freezer.

I was in my room right before going down to eat lunch (after sitting in the coffee shop writing a paper for three hours) when there was a knock on my door. Visitors! I got excited. Except that it wasn't exactly a visitor. It was the guy hired by St. Andrews to test all of the appliances and make sure we don't have anything illegal in our rooms. So he insisted on checking the converter for my laptop cord, my UK hair straightener and even the cell phone charger for my UK phone. Pretty weird. Then, he saw the American converter Mom gave me lying on my desk. I don't use this converter because it only accepts two-pronged plugs, and all plugs now have three prongs. So it just sits on my desk. I told the guy it didn't work, that it just sat there, and that I didn't use it. I then demonstrated to him that it didn't accept any of my US plugs, so there was actually no way for me to use it. He insisted on testing it. It failed because there isn't a fuse or something in it. So what did he do? He confiscated it! Even though I showed him there was no possible way that it could be used with any of the plugs in my room. He wrote me a receipt and told me I could take it up with the front desk. Ok - I get checking rooms for contraband. It would be bad to have someone plug a microwave or something into plugs in our room. But really, taking my plug away? After I told, and proved to him, that it didn't work? Come on, man. I'm not an idiot, I promise. It is pretty nice to have a cleaning service in the dorms and to be able to collect new linens every two weeks. But the inspections? I don't particularly appreciate that. Especially since when the guy came in my room was covered in laundry (I don't use the dryer for some clothes) and was in a general state of mess. Mom, I know you're surprised by that last statement. Luckily I was in the room. Otherwise, they are allowed to let themselves in. They leave a red card that says who was in the room and why, but it is kind of weird. It was also lucky that my American hair straightener was hidden away in my drawer. I don't use it, but I don't want that confiscated, too. I plan on bringing it home to use.

While it is great that a lot of services are provided for us, I would like some privacy and a small amount of respect. We are in college, after all. And isn't the point of college to learn to live independently? If they are concerned about appliances, then they should send out an email with what is acceptable and what is not. If they want to do inspections, fine, but don't take away my power converter. Especially a power converter that doesn't even work.