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April 13, 2007 > News > More students opt to live off-campus

More students opt to live off-campus

By Evan Mintz | Thresher Editorial Staff

In a shift from recent years, many colleges are seeing a decrease in demand for housing. In the past, residential colleges have had to deal with the popularity of on-campus housing by bumping some students off campus for a year. Recently, however, many students are opting to move off campus, leaving some colleges with the unfamiliar problem of empty bedrooms.

“We actually had more space than we had people who wanted a room, which has not happened before in my time here at Martel,” Martel College Vice President Bryan Ellis said.

Martel, which was forced to bump 52 students in 2005 and 14 last year, now finds itself with 11 extra beds.

Ellis, a junior, speculated that students may be moving away to avoid living next to the construction site of the 10th and 11th colleges.

Lovett College now has seven unclaimed beds for next year, continuing a trend from last year, and Jones College has nine.

Brown College’s demand for beds met its supply perfectly, filling every room with no students forced off campus.

However, Brown did face problems of students unhappy with their room arrangements. “There was some drama, but no scandal,” Brown Internal Vice President Angela Qian said. “Some people were wanting other people on their floor but not getting that, but there was nothing unconstitutional.”

Hanszen College, which bumped 12 female students, faced a similar problem of discontent with rooming arrangements.

Hanszen Chief Justice Sam Banon said the arrangement of the restrooms in Hanszen’s old section causes a switch every year between a majority of men and women — 2007-‘08 is a men’s year. Several women requested that a room assignment be changed from men to women, but the request was denied.

“You just can’t change the rules in the middle of the process,” Hanszen President Court Jackson said. “It’s not fair to the people who have been looking over the information.”

After debate, everyone eventually agreed with the decision, Jackson said.

“Room draw is inherently full of flaws, no matter how you structure it. Even if you changes the rules, new problems will come up. Someone will always be unhappy.”

Men to women ratios have become a problem at a few colleges. Wiess College forced off 22 men, while reserving beds for 90 men and 64 women, according to Wiess Housing coordinator Elizabeth Cooper.

“Generally, more guys want to live on campus because they don’t have as much faith in their ability to cook and clean for themselves,” Cooper said. “And they tend to care less about who they live with.”

Lovett College faces a similar situation, with 52 women and 88 men living on campus next year.

Baker College originally bumped off 27 students, Baker Chief Justice Tara Grigg said.

However, enough students gave up their spots on campus after the original jack that every student who wanted a room was able to get one.

Sid Richardson College’s room draw was its first since fully transitioning from its policy of bumping juniors to bumping sophomores.

“Sid was in a transition period, so last year everyone had a chance [to live on campus],” Sid Vice President Nick Ripp said.

However, Sid forced off 12 students this year.

Will Rice College faces a jump in the number of students denied housing— up to 14 from 4 from last year and 2 in 2005 — with many students moving back on campus.

“People in my class moved off their sophomore year and they stayed off their junior year,” Will Rice junior Clark Smithson said. “Now those people are coming back on for senior year.”

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