Compared to last semester, there are many more people living on campus.
As a result, the University offered a $1000 reduction in room fee to any students willing to live with two other roommates instead of one, in any hall
Joshua Brooks, a sophomore from Phoenix, Arizona, lived in Brown Hall last year with one roommate, and now lives with two roommates in Martin Hall. The school offered a $1,000 reduction in room fees
Brooks said it hasn’t been difficult so far considering that they have a suite with a common area, but that it may be more difficult further on in the semester.
“The way we have it set up we pretty much have enough room,” he said. “We just need to make sure to rearrange it the proper way because there is enough room in there.”
Tom Taldo, dean of student of student affairs, believes the large number of residents is a good thing.
“I would say that we don’t have an overcrowding problem,” he said. “We’re full for the first time in a long time.”
Cristina Uribe, a sophomore from Denver, Colorado, lives in a double room in Brown hall with two roommates. Uribe lived in Martin hall last year.
Uribe said that the arrangement is working out so far, but that they haven’t yet gotten closets or desks in their room.
“We don’t know what it will be like once the closets are in,” she said. “All we have is dressers and beds.”
Uribe and Brooks both said that their primary reasons for taking the option was the money saved with the price reduction.
“It saves money and I was supposed to be in that room,” Brooks said. “All of my friends are in that suite so I wanted to be with my friends.”
Taldo said that other measures were taken to house the greater number of students.
“We converted some lounge spaces in Brown Hall,” he said. “We also renovated two spaces in Bennett Hall and made them rooms.”
Uribe said one of those lounge areas currently stands empty with four bunk beds in it.
Brooks said it’s easier to deal with two roommates with a suite.
“We have a lot of extra room,” he said. “I would much rather live in Martin than in Brown, having our own living space not only cramped in our room all day long.”