Regis College Students Say Dining Hall Cockroach Infestation Has Them Skipping Meals
WESTON (CBS) - Regis College students say a cockroach infestation has them skipping meals. "Kids aren't eating," said freshman Lilly Panagopoulos.
Cellphone video shows the insects crawling up walls and in between cupcakes. "I want to just be able to go home," said Panagopoulos. "I don't want to stay here because of how bad the food is. It's really hard; it's like we're starving here."
Aramark is the company that provides Regis' food service, but Weston Health Director Wendy Diotalevi says it was the college that called in a pest control company last month. "At the beginning the traps were fairly full," she said, but added that the infestation is nearly gone at this point.
An inspection report says 75 roaches were trapped at one point. As bad as that sounds, Diotalevi said it didn't reach the point where the town needed to shut down the dining hall. "The kitchen isn't closed. An area is closed because that's where they saw the activity," she said.
In a statement, Regis COO Kara Kolomitz said, "It is suspected that the issue started in a food crate brought to campus by an outside, third-party vendor. The university has undertaken significant remediation efforts."
Diotalevi says the menu for the $7,225 meal plan has been temporarily adjusted, so none of the cooking equipment in the affected area is being used. Food is being served on paper plates with disposable utensils. "For another four, five, six days, they'll still maintain this limited menu, using limited surfaces to prepare and cook on." She said she's confident that what is being served, is safe, or the town wouldn't allow it.
Spring break is in just a couple weeks, and Diotalevi said the school plans to complete an even deeper cleaning then. She said Regis has also been making small repairs to seal gaps where pests might have gotten in.
