The Observer, April 14, 2006
Volume XXXVIII, Issue 24
Rooms in the Village at 115 no longer in demand
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The decision to extend the deadline for junior and senior housing applications from March 20 to March 31 has created a lot of chatter among students, especially those who remember last year's battle for campus housing in the new Village at 115. But the problem is not that the Village is less desirable. It's a numbers game.
Even after the extended deadline, there are still spots available for upperclass housing, which includes the Village, Tippit, and the university-owned apartments. Opening Tippit and the university apartments to upperclass students generated more available spaces in the housing lottery.
The Village is now available for upperclass students only, leaving Houses 5-7 to potential residents instead of sophomores who currently reside in them. Because of this, the 200 students who last year were unable to get an apartment in the Village have more chances to get a space in the residence hall.
The desperation of last year's housing draw makes the calm of this one seem like people no longer wish to live on campus, but this is not the case. "Numbers last year are about the same for upperclass students," Loretta Sexton, Assistant Director for Campus Living said "We just had less space available." The Village still seems to cause some anxiety among students. "People [students] are nervous that they're not going to get in the Village," Sexton said.
However, some of the alternatives offered to students last year, Tippit and university apartments, are now in demand. Many students who currently live in the university apartments seem to like it more than they once expected.
"[Students are] surprised they enjoyed living there and don't want to move," Alma Sealine, Associate Director for Campus Living, said. The Office of Housing has not received any complaints from students living in university apartments, according to Sexton.
The decision to make the Village available only for third-year students and above has helped take the pressure off students who are interested in living in the Village. However, the decision to change the living arrangements was not to guarantee upperclassmen spots in the new buildings. One important factor in the change was that sophomores did not feel unified as a class while living in the Village.
"Apartment style living is not the best living option for second -ear students. Based on feedback through surveys, second-year students are not as happy in the Village as they were in typical second-year housing. It's easy for them to become secluded," Sealine said.
Despite all the confusion, Sexton and Sealine are confident that most students will be able to get the spaces they want. Both expect to have a few spots left over after the lotteries are over, which will go to students who have sent in their applications too late to participate in the lottery. Housing is still accepting applications from students who wish to live on campus.
"There are so many factors involved in how we run this lottery," Sealine said. "It's probably not the most perfect process, but we put a lot of time and energy in making it the best process for our students."
