Room draw closed Wednesday night, leaving 80 to 100 students on the wait list, according to Rachael Class-Giguere, director of undergraduate housing. All rising sophomores on the wait list are guaranteed housing for next year. Rising seniors quickly selected five-person suites in McLane and Thomas Halls. The Channing Cox and Maxwell apartments, traditionally reserved for seniors, will house sophomores for the first time next year, Class-Giguere said. Many rising sophomores also selected single rooms, another room-draw rarity, as there are usually few singles available for sophomores, Class-Giguere said. Massachusetts Row and the Fayerweather Halls were popular, as they have been in the past, but students were reluctant to choose rooms in the Lodge and Brewster Hall. "Their perception is that [the Lodge] is far away and removed," Class-Giguere said "With Brewster, you're in Alumni Hall and people are saying it's so far away, but it's right behind this building." The Office of Residential Life announced during the Winter term that 100 members of the Class of 2009 would not be permitted to participate in room draw due to the construction of a Visual Arts Center, which ORL believed would necessitate the destruction of Brewster and the Lodge. ORL rescinded this announcement last month, although many rising seniors may have already found off-campus housing, Class-Giguere said.
McLaughlin Residential Cluster, which opened Fall term 2006, recently received multiple Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design gold certifications from the United States Green Building Council. Criteria for the certification include sustainability of the site, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, materials and resources and indoor environmental quality. Some environmentally-friendly features of the residence halls include heat recovery ventilation, water efficiency and use of renewable sources of electricity. McLaughlin is also home to the pilot program for the Green Lite Dartmouth project, which aims to inform students about how much electricity they use by displaying it on screens in common areas. The screen depicts a polar bear that is happy or sad depending on how much electricity students use. The LEED award marks the fourth time in four months that Dartmouth has been recognized for its environmental sustainability.
