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Ashley Lane, Houston sophomore, rolled her pant leg up and pulled the bandage off, exposing a huge red and brown gash reminiscent of a Halloween scar. Only hers is real. It's the worst of seven spider bites she has received within the past month while living in Clark Hall, but to Lane, the worst part is feeling like she isn't being taken seriously.

Lane said she noticed three bites on her upper thigh and rear about three weeks ago and immediately went to the Student Health and Wellness Center on campus. She was prescribed an antibiotic, which she mentioned she had an adverse reaction to, including nausea, dizziness and throwing up. Lane said that the doctor told her the bites were from a brown recluse. Lane also has to take medication for an immune deficiency disease known as lupus, which hampers her body's ability to fight off diseases.

After receiving treatment from a school physician, Lane contacted Clark Hall's front desk and was told an exterminator would come and spray the room, which she said he did. Elizabeth Warren, NT Housing director, said that each hall's front desk has a log book that contracted exterminators check once a week. Warren said that 'creepy crawly things' were common in the dorms, but cases were not intentionally overlooked and always regarded seriously.

"Spiders can get in rooms in any number of ways," Warren said. "Students can bring them in the cardboard boxes they use when they move in, or they can get in under doors or windows. This is Texas."

Lane noticed four more bites about a week later and again contacted Clark Hall's front desk. At that point the exterminator came again, and did a more thorough job, Lane said. She said she was told the housing director would contact her about the problem and that the school's maintenance staff would check her room, but Lane said neither has happened so far.

Lane said that the hall director, assistant hall director and several resident assistants and peer advisers came to her room to look for signs of a spider. She said they came with brooms and flashlights and talked about "going on a spider hunt." Lane said she was two doors down in a friend's room at the time, but could hear them making fun of something she felt was a big issue. She became so upset she started crying.

"It's not just a college student getting bit by a spider. It's me getting bit seven times in the same hall and people acting like it's not a big deal," Lane said.

Lane said she has been told that if she turns in her receipts for her medical bills, she can receive credit to her housing account, but at this point she is more interested in terminating her on-campus stay as quickly as possible.

"I don't want any money credited to my account," Lane said. "I pay $855 a month to sleep in my bed and I'm sleeping down the hall."

She said the possibility of moving her into a different dorm was discussed, but Lane said she will be living off campus next semester. She also said that at this point she will still have to pay a $500 fee for not living in student housing. She said she hadn't paid any of the medical bills from the Wellness Center yet, which included her medication and a test they ran to determine what antibiotic to give her, because she doesn't think its fair of the school. Lane said she has tried to take "baby steps" about the whole ordeal, but if she still isn't taken seriously she is taking further action.

"If this doesn't work, I'll take the next step. People have been telling me to contact legal services on campus. That's what I'm about to do," Lane said.

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