New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

New York University's independent student newspaper, established in 1973.

Washington Square News

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NYU Student Belongings Returned and Damaged

This Tisch senior thought his belongings were safely stored in his former Carlyle Court dorm room, until he was surprised with the severely damaged boxes on his doorstep.
The+box+appeared+as+though+it+had+come+straight+from+beneath+a+hydraulic+press+%28Photo+via+Brian+Rosenwinkel%29
“The box appeared as though it had come straight from beneath a hydraulic press” (Photo via Brian Rosenwinkel)

When Tisch senior Brian Rosenwinkel opened his door on Friday morning, he was greeted by several boxes — including one that was severely damaged — containing his belongings from his Carlyle Court Residence Hall dorm room. 

The box appeared as though it had come straight from beneath a hydraulic press: it was smashed at the corners, with sticky tape used to hold ripped and falling pieces together. Parts of the box were open and the contents were left exposed to the elements. Rosenwinkel, shocked to see the state of his things, took to Twitter to share his experience. 

He was not aware that the boxes had been shipped and never received a UPS tracking number. 

Due to extensive water damage and dirt, Rosenwinkel’s bed sheets were stained in the process of NYU shipping his belongings home. (Photo via Brian Rosenwinkel)

On March 9, a memorandum from President Andrew Hamilton and the Senior Leadership was sent out informing students of the transition to remote instruction. It asked students who planned to leave the dorms for spring break to be prepared to continue their studies from home. 

“Students departing for spring break should take with them any items essential to carrying on their education from home, such as laptops, textbooks, notebooks, essential papers, etc.,” the memorandum reads. “Students should also plan to carry home valuables and indispensable items in the event that a sustained period will pass before they are able to retrieve them easily.”

Rosenwinkel was one of the many students who left for spring break expecting to return to campus. Having served as a Residential Assistant at NYU Carlyle Court Residence Hall, he packed up all the essentials he might need for a prolonged break — not expecting that the remainder of the semester would be carried out remotely — and left for Chicago on Friday, March 13. On the following Monday, March 16, all the residents received the announcement that dormitories would be closing. Those who left were instructed to return as soon as possible to pack their belongings and vacate their rooms unless unable to return.

It was later announced that Carlyle Court and Third North Residence Hall would be offered as additional medical treatment spaces to ease strains on New York hospitals during COVID-19.

“If you are already away for spring break and had planned on returning, you should do so as soon as possible to pack up your belongings, if possible within 48 hours (for the reasons cited above), and certainly no later than March 22, when the halls will close,” the new memorandum reads. “If you are away and not [sic] able to return to campus before March 22 but you still have belongings in your room, please complete the survey in order to arrange for packing and shipping.”

After receiving the announcement, Rosenwinkel got into his car at 5 a.m. and drove from Chicago to New York to pack up his room. At around 10 p.m. he was back at Union Square and ready to move out when an update to the previous memorandum came out. 

It urged students to avoid returning to campus and trust the university officials and staff with storing their belongings. Rosenwinkel attempted to completely move out that night, but realized he would have to leave a few boxes behind. He had no space in his car to transport everything back to Chicago with him. 

“[I] had about two hours to pack up all of my things,” Rosenwinkel said. “Halfway through my trip we got the email that said, ‘Just kidding, we’ll pack up your things for you.’ A couple weeks later my Residence Hall Assistant Director reached out and she was just asking face-to-face ‘What is your plan for the stuff?’ I said ‘let’s store it’ and she was like ‘okay.’ Then Friday these boxes showed up at my door.”

In addition to other items damaged or destroyed, Rosenwinkel received his metal pan bent out of shape, after being shipped from his dorm by NYU. (Photo via Brian Rosenwinkel)

On April 24, the same day Rosenwinkel received his possessions, Carlyle Court’s Residence Hall Director Josephine Gonzalez sent out an update to its residents on shipping the items left in their rooms.

“For those of you who were able to pack and box your belongings before the halls closed, we have already shipped a total of 9,142 total boxes from all our residence halls – 615 of which were from Carlyle Court,” the update reads. “For those of you who still have items left in your room unpacked, the restrictions on types of work that can be done in New York State are presenting some significant issues for us and as a result, we currently cannot give you a firm timeline on when your items will be returned to you.”

Residents of other halls, including Lafayette and Third North, received similar announcements.

When Rosenwinkel unexpectedly received his belongings, one of the boxes suffered extensive damage. 

“Everything was destroyed,” Rosenwinkel said. “Stainless steel bent, pots and pans destroyed … A couple of lamps were broken. The box was so soaked and ripped open, things definitely fell out in transit. There were blankets and there were towels in there that were used to pad everything but then everything got soaking wet. And then the box bled through onto my duvet cover and sheets. Also dirt. The boxes were packed to be stored and not to be shipped. The smell was terrible. Because it was wet and sitting.”

“When Rosenwinkel unexpectedly received his belongings, one of the boxes suffered extensive damage.” (Photo via Brian Rosenwinkel)

Rosenwinkel didn’t know his things were being shipped and without a UPS tracking number, it is much more difficult for him to ensure the safety of his possessions and receive compensation for the damage done. 

Looking for answers, Rosenwinkel called Residential Life and Housing Services. He knew every box was supposed to be insured, but was told he wasn’t likely to receive anything for his broken items.

“Whoever answered the phone was like, ‘Let me check on that’ and then she was like ‘you have to go to UPS,’” Rosenwinkel said. “She said most students probably won’t get emails with tracking numbers unless [you] specifically give them your email. So there might be students who will be receiving packages who don’t know it, who don’t have tracking information. How do you locate a box you if you don’t even have a tracking number? How do you file an insurance claim for a box you don’t have a tracking number for?”

Rosenwinkel was told the boxes weren’t insured through NYU, so the university would not be responsible for them in transit. The insurance was supposed to be through UPS with a discrepancy in how much the owner of damaged belongings would be entitled to. While Rosenwinkel was told he could get $300 by the Housing Services and Residential Life the UPS web-site caps the sum of compensation at $100.

“Maybe the email NYU sent was wrong. Maybe NYU has a special deal with UPS. I’m not sure,” he said. 

While the university has yet to issue official guidelines on how students can go about receiving compensation and ensuring safety of their possessions, Senior Director of Executive Communications Shonna Keogan provided information regarding the current state of the situation.

“All boxes (approximately 10,800) that have been shipped to more than 2,000 students have been packed by the students themselves,” Keogan told WSN in an email. “No boxes were packed by NYU employees. Whatever the student source has seen on the website about capping damages at $100 is not applicable in this case.”

However, Keogan specified students wishing to file a claim for damage will need to provide their UPS tracking number in order to complete the process, the exact issue Rosenwinkel ran into. She explained the student, whose belongings were shipped without their knowledge, would have to file the claim instead of NYU, the shipper.

“If students file a claim with UPS and encounter difficulties, they should reach out to NYU Housing for assistance,” Keogan said. 

WSN will follow this story as more students receive their belongings. Please reach out to [email protected] with any information.

Email Anna-Dmitry Muratova at [email protected]

 

About the Contributor
Anna-Dmitry Muratova, Under the Arch Managing Editor
Finley  comes from Moscow, Russia! They're a junior studying Journalism and Environmental Studies and it's their fifth semester at WSN. Finley loves all things inclusive, sex. ed., ecology and advocacy for a whole bunch of stuff. They'd love to chat with you if you want to write for Under the Arch! Find them @veryawkwardfinley on Instagram. :-)
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  • R

    reality checkApr 30, 2020 at 3:50 pm

    “don’t lash out at people and institutions doing whatever they can”

    Hey Leddy I have a bridge to sell you, very low cost, just for you, please contact me…

    The people doing whatever they can are the health workers like residents and RNs and RTs on the frontline of the pandemic. Not the Higher Ed Admin professionals who are paid 6 figures to sit on their asses and play Animal Crossing all day while out earning medical staff at the hospital.

    Reply
  • L

    LeddyApr 29, 2020 at 9:08 pm

    It’s a totally unprecedented global pandemic killing uncountable numbers of people and changing life on Earth as we know it for the foreseeable future – but a frying pan got dented! Grow up, stop whining, you’re still lucky as hell so start acting that way. And don’t lash out at people and institutions doing whatever they can, whenever they can. There is no playbook and making the best of that is what being an adult is.

    Reply
  • W

    WSNReaderApr 29, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    Clara, how can you say that when this student was just visiting home domestically and not traveling internationally? The situation developed quickly, but NYU absolutely bears the burden of responsibility here for telling students their belongings would be safe and not following through on that guarantee

    Reply
  • C

    ClaraApr 29, 2020 at 12:29 pm

    Going away on the spring break was an option he chose himself. There was a lot of talk way ahead between students as well as faculty before spring break regarding all of this. I spoke with some students in our school before spring break and asked what their plans were. They told me that even though they made plans and had paid for a spring break getaway, they are not to go on spring break due to the Coronavirus getting out of hand. They were afraid they would catch COVID19 or worse yet, not be able to return. They told me that week, they are going to pack their things up and move things back home because the situation is unsure. All students received the same emails from NYU. Some choices in life may not be the best in hindsight. The choice this student made, as unfortunate as it is, will lead to a lot more grief and legwork to see how this can be remedied.
    I feel bad that his stuff was damaged but as my parents always told me, “No one’s better to take care of your own stuff than yourself.”

    Reply