Tyler Stableford '96 plans to spend Fall term living in his van.
"I'm planning on living in a van this term," he said.
Stableford's plans are unusual &emdash; but that is what life on the more-than-150 student wait-list can do to people. Many students are angry and frustrated that they still do not have housing as Fall term draws near.
"I think it has added a lot of stress because it's the end of the term and that's something else that I have to deal with not knowing if I have housing," Jacqueline Tran '96 said.
"It's incredibly frustrating. I feel like I spend all my time looking for a place to live," Shelly Roper '96 said.
But the anger and frustration are not limited to students &emdash; many parents are infuriated with the College.
Pat Spaeth, mother of Gordon Spaeth '97 said, "I'm upset that the school has taken on more students than they can possibly house and is fully aware of it and has done nothing about it … maybe [Gordon] should just go and camp out on the President's front lawn."
A few people are understanding of the administration's predicament.
"When you're in business, and colleges are a business, the demand sometimes outstrips supply and these things happen," said Harold Whetsell, father of Jennifer Whetsell '97.
Joel Thornton '96 said, "I was really bitter at first because I didn't think they were really doing anything but it turns out they are pretty much doing as much as they can. It was just by chance that they got more people than they could house for Fall term. It's really not their fault."
But not everyone is accepting of life on the wait list &emdash; some students are worried that changes in their Dartmouth plan could disrupt the rest of their college career.
"I am starting a new language I have to stick through it," Tran said.
"I'd be definitely eager to be off this term but I have to stick around for Swahili for Kenya. If I could, if I didn't have this prereq, I'd be off," Stableford said.
A few students have decided that they could wait no longer, deciding to leave the wait-list and return home for the fall.
"Not actually I gave in &emdash; I sent out some last minute job applications and I was lucky enough to find something at home, so I'm going home," Miranda Barrows '96 said.
Off-campus housing is not a feasible option for many of the wait-listed students, as the Hanover market is so glutted that the only available housing is often several miles from campus.
"Right now I'm looking at a house but its about fifteen miles away ... so I'm torn between looking into that and living about fifteen minutes away or just sort of hanging on the wait-list," Roper said.
"We're getting an apartment, but it's really been a real pain," Henry Broaddus '97 said. "My roommate had to make a special trip up to school and we really hadn't planned on having to do that. We're about four-and-a-half miles from campus, so we're having to arrange for vehicles and transportation."
Many of the students will continue to wait and see what happens with the plan recently released by the College's enrollment committee that provides incentives to students to take off the Fall term.
Many students criticized the committee's proposals &emdash; using words like 'silly' and 'stupid.'
"I guess its an idea but I think it's really silly, because if someone wants to be on they should be able to be on," Tracy-Ann George '96 said. "I think it sucks because this is a residence college and we're not in a big city."
"I think they better find a place for me because I'm coming back," Kara Enos '96 said.
A few people are turning to higher forces to try to answer the problems of life on the wait-list.
Christopher Saccardi '96's mother said, "We're praying. That's what we're doing."
