With the release of housing priority numbers for the 1995-96 academic year, members of the Class of 1998 said they are concerned about where they will live next year, while some freshmen expressed their anger with the new system.
The Office of Residential Life is taking steps to ease the freshmen's concerns, but Associate Dean of Residential Life Bud Beatty said, "there is no way anybody can predict who will and will not get housing. In terms of numbers, it all depends on who applies."
For some freshmen, this lack of certainty poses the greatest problem when making plans for next fall.
"This whole situation is difficult because I don't know what to expect," Shannon Jarosh '98 said. "If the Office of Residential Life could tell me what my chances of getting housing were, that would be great. They don't seem to be doing that."
Beatty said ORL is trying to aid '98s who may not be familiar with off-campus housing options.
"Internships and off-campus housing are not the responsibility of ORL, but there are some things we hope to be doing to help students," Beatty said.
"We're finishing up a guide to off- campus apartments and working with the Student Assembly to make the transition to the new system smoother," he said.
Beatty said more housing would be available if more students applied to live in nonresidence hall College housing. "Those who qualify for special interest or affinity housing are encouraged to apply," he said.
Despite these efforts, many freshmen called the changes unfair.
"The new housing assignment system is ridiculous," Winnie Leung '98 said. "By placing last priority to sophomores, the College is pushing more people from my class to joining fraternities and sororities."
Other freshmen questioned why higher priority numbers were not given to upperclassmen more equipped to deal with the situation.
"The worst numbers should be given to the upperclasses," Ben Cooperberg '98 said. "This system will really encourage sophomores to live off-campus earlier than usual."
"Sophomores are being treated like second-class citizens," Brian Amsbary '98 said. "I can understand why seniors need to be guaranteed housing, but it makes no sense to differentiate between juniors and sophomores."
"The whole campus is going to be completely segregated," Jarosh said, "Especially if the First-Year Experience goes through as well."
The Report on the First-Year Experience, released earlier this year, recommends three clusters be set aside as "freshman dorms."
Beatty said the revised system of priority assignments will virtually eliminate the possibility of a student being wait-listed for three consecutive years.
"I would guess the most vulnerable people would be those sophomores with high numbers," Beatty said. "I encourage people in that position to explore all their options."
Because the new priority system also emphasizes room type over cluster, freshmen expressed concerns over where they may be housed.
"After living in the River, I have no desire to relive the experience," Leung said.
Class of 1998 members with higher priority numbers feel especially threatened by the system.
"I hope, since my number is relatively low, I will get housing somewhere, but I will be mad as hell if I have to spend another year in the Choates," Amsbary said.
It remains unclear whether the change in priority numbering will encourage more juniors to live in residence halls next year.
"Historically, a larger number of seniors live in CFS houses and off-campus," Beatty said. "Many students want to live off campus for the experience. We still expect people to choose this option."
Beatty said the plan will eliminate some of the problems the College had with housing students.
"After last year's difficulties, we are doing what we can to better manage enrollment," Beatty said. "We feel the system will eliminate the inequities of the past."
Some current juniors remain unaffected by the policy change. Debra Whitney '96 said she will be living off campus next year. "Neither the new housing situation nor the old one had anything to do with the situation," she said.
Others have chosen to remain on campus because of favorable priority numbers. Shannon Smith '96 said she will live on-campus. "Especially since my number is 52," she said.
