2008 Woodie Awards
Hundreds turned away as apt. spaces fill up
Carrie Wells
Issue date: 3/27/08 Section: News
A feeling of inevitable despair came over many students as they left the leasing meeting for South Campus Commons and University Courtyards empty-handed yesterday.
With requests for leases in the two complexes at an all-time high of about 2,000 rising juniors for 648 available beds, many students came to the Colony Ballroom well aware they might leave leaseless. And because the three-day stretch of leasing meetings was cut short by a day after all apartments in the complexes were filled by around 7 p.m. yesterday, students scheduled to lease today won't even be able to try.
While some students were frustrated with their chances of getting an open bed, others seemed resigned to their fate.
Sophomore mechanical engineering major Ben Suarez came with three friends, hoping to be pulled in by one, but by the time they arrived, male students could only pull in one other person.
"My hopes weren't too high," said Suarez, a sophomore mechanical engineering major who as an on-campus priority number in the mid-500 range. "But the rest of my roommates are really bummed."
Resident Life Department officials said they thought leasing would move quickly, but were surprised at just how briskly apartments were snatched.
"It was my instinct that we would run out tonight," said Kathleen Blankenship, the Resident Life official in charge of Commons and Courtyards. "But I didn't think we would run out this early."
Blankenship said that last year, spaces in Courtyards were still open by the third day of leasing. However, leasing for Commons and Courtyards ended last year before Resident Life announced that more than 600 rising seniors would not be able to live on-campus.
Resident Life is also projecting that only about 150 rising juniors will be able to live in traditional dorms next year, making it likely that around 1,000 of them will have to find housing off-campus.
Sophomore kinesiology major Scott Stanfill almost didn't show up to his leasing appointment because he was pessimistic about his chances of securing housing on the campus.
With requests for leases in the two complexes at an all-time high of about 2,000 rising juniors for 648 available beds, many students came to the Colony Ballroom well aware they might leave leaseless. And because the three-day stretch of leasing meetings was cut short by a day after all apartments in the complexes were filled by around 7 p.m. yesterday, students scheduled to lease today won't even be able to try.
While some students were frustrated with their chances of getting an open bed, others seemed resigned to their fate.
Sophomore mechanical engineering major Ben Suarez came with three friends, hoping to be pulled in by one, but by the time they arrived, male students could only pull in one other person.
"My hopes weren't too high," said Suarez, a sophomore mechanical engineering major who as an on-campus priority number in the mid-500 range. "But the rest of my roommates are really bummed."
Resident Life Department officials said they thought leasing would move quickly, but were surprised at just how briskly apartments were snatched.
"It was my instinct that we would run out tonight," said Kathleen Blankenship, the Resident Life official in charge of Commons and Courtyards. "But I didn't think we would run out this early."
Blankenship said that last year, spaces in Courtyards were still open by the third day of leasing. However, leasing for Commons and Courtyards ended last year before Resident Life announced that more than 600 rising seniors would not be able to live on-campus.
Resident Life is also projecting that only about 150 rising juniors will be able to live in traditional dorms next year, making it likely that around 1,000 of them will have to find housing off-campus.
Sophomore kinesiology major Scott Stanfill almost didn't show up to his leasing appointment because he was pessimistic about his chances of securing housing on the campus.
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