By Cameron Rogers
The housing and room selection process for the fall 2015 semester finished in the last week of March, but not without complications.
On the surface, the room selection process seemed simple and straightforward. Students sat down in Whitaker Commons, which had been rearranged into a DMV-like setup, complete with a lottery system for selection order. In most cases, few students were present during each 20 minute segment.
When students were called up by number, they headed to tables with maps of a specific dormitory, with student ID’s listed on any occupied rooms. Representatives from the dorms then asked students which one of the remaining rooms they would like to stay in.
As with any situation involving the signing of safety waivers, minor complications can make or break one’s chances of getting their dream room assignments. Minute details, from holds on a person’s financial accounts to signing the rooming contract in pencil, have the potential to invalidate written signatures.
From the announcements of lottery numbers in early March to the final frantic days before the selection began, the scene had been set for suspenseful moments of awaiting the next number to be called. What actually happened on those three nights was far from that idea.
The mood of the selection process for the class of 2017 was that of indifference. Even at the following night, when the freshmen had their room selection lottery, no hints of enthusiasm or interest occurred as students were called up in pairs.
“I think it’s alright,” Austin Hagerperry, a member of the class of 2017, said about the room selection process. “There’s no real ‘good’ way to do this.”
Katie Stout, another sophomore, had similar views on the process. “I think it’s good,” she said, “but it’s kind of complicated.”
In contrast to the lifeless atmosphere and dread surrounding most students during this time, the Resident Assistants (RA’s) and Area Coordinators (AC’s) maintained a positive outlook on the event.
“I personally find it exciting when it comes to room selection,” Ray Rivera, an RA and a senior at Hood, said about it. “There are so many possibilities as to where you could live.”
According to him, a fair amount about housing and room selection has changed in the past few years. Mandy Taylor is now the interim director of Residence Life and the location has changed from Hodson Auditorium to Whitaker Commons.
When asked about what concerns students most about the process, Rivera said, “I think something that bothers students is the random lottery system.” He went on to mention other colleges that award rooms based on G.P.A. and merit, not by luck.
A primary source of confusion among students for room selection were the initial emails and the lottery system. The lack of information about the number system, along with the occasionally-vague wording of the announcement emails, created a scenario that required additional clarification from Residence Life.
A student from the class of 2018 who wished to remain anonymous admitted that the instructions seemed unclear. “I find it a little confusing,” the student said, “but it is my first year. I had to ask the right questions.”
The student said that if the system were to be improved there would have to be clearer instructions on how you choose who you room with. “Biggest confusion is on the number selection,” the student said.
In contrast to the mixed reactions from students, the RA’s and AC’s were confident that the process would work out and that most participants would come out satisfied.
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