The housing lottery system is grossly flawed and leaves out in the cold with no idea where and who they will be living with next year. The lottery idea is good in theory, but then again so is a Utopia.
It is ridiculous to have freshmen forced to move off-campus for next year. How can a big time university keep increasing their student body population without first having enough room for them? A lot of students are very upset at this dilemma including freshman business major Alex Lippa. “I just think that they’re kind of misleading you when they say guaranteed housing. I think they should just be a little more clear before.”
That is the biggest flaw in the school’s policy. They do technically guarantee housing, but not in the way most would interpret it. Yes, no matter what, a student will have somewhere to live, but that doesn’t stipulate necessarily with friends. So the majority of these students will be broken up and placed in rooms with strangers.
And yes I have heard the excuses: dorms are being built as we speak, but this really isn’t good enough. These dorms won’t be finished most likely for a few years and next year’s freshman class is going to be even larger.
“It seems that they concentrate on other things, like other facilities, trying to impress people more instead of trying to accommodate the students” said Brett Herlihy, a freshman criminal justice major.
As long as there is a lack of housing this problem is only going to get worse.
It is not that the lottery itself is unfair, it is just the way it is done that doesn’t make sense. Lottery picks are based on amount of credits, but not just college credits. It also includes high school credits. How can classes a person took in high school effect where they will live in college? And all it really does is punish those that have become better students after enrolling at Quinnipiac.
So now those lucky few that didn’t receive a lottery pick are forced onto the waiting list. Some may not even know where they will be placed until August. It is sad because it reveals a glaring problem.
I actually got lucky with housing, depending on how one looks at it. I got a lottery pick for the off-campus housing. This is and will be a large inconvenience due to the factor of transportation and the lack of a meal plan, but it seems all one can really do here is take what’s given. However, many students were not as fortunate. When asked what his plans are for next year Herlihy responded, “I have no idea. Depending on the circumstances either off-campus or splitting up, which really shouldn’t have to happen.”
The bottom line is that freshmen should not be forced off campus. It sends a negative message to the very future of this institution.
The office which was created to help sort through these problems – Residential Life – was not much help at all. When asked for a solution to these problems, or any helpful advice I was given the same practiced speech and was basically told that it was tough luck.
So for the “lucky” few who are able to live off-campus next year, congratulations, but to the rest of the students that received no consolation, don’t bother going to Res. Life. All that can really be done here is perhaps protest the way the housing lottery is done. It is not likely to be changed though, so in the attitude of this all, better luck next year.
