My year might be one of the last to have to tango with this 800 pound gorilla, but due to QU’s current housing situation, I, and many others likely in the same situation, have to sit down with their roommates for the dreaded “housing talk.”

Freshman year, you were housed with either two or three other students, or more. (See related article on front page.) For your sophomore year, you can live with at least five other students and up to seven. The same is true with your junior year. Senior year is a crap shoot, as it all depends on where you want to live – on campus or off.

Currently in my junior year here in Hamden, I’m happily living with five of my best friends on campus. It’s probably the best housing situation so far, as we all get along and all of us bring our own personalities to the table. Unfortunately for next year, it was near impossible to find a house that could fit all six of us.

Eventually, four of us happened upon a house that we just could not pass up. We signed the lease and were put a little bit at ease. Now came the hard part.

With all six of us sitting in the common area of our dorm one night, my roommate began the tough talk. About 15 minutes later, the explanation was complete. The looks on their faces were tough to swallow. It’s not something any of us wanted to do, but our hand was forced.

With the 500 or so beds planned to be completed for September 2009 up at York Hill, hopefully we’re one of the last classes to have to go through this as juniors. Sadly, though, the problem will persist at the freshman and sophomore levels as spring rolls around and sights are set on next year.

I offer you a word of advice to anyone who has to go through this within the next few months: Be nice.

Make it understood that it’s not out of hate, or anything mean spirited, but that you’d just rather live with some other friends you’ve made along the way. That is, unless it is actually out of annoyance; then you’re on your own.

No body likes being left out in the cold, and it’s really a terrible feeling having to break the bad news to people you enjoy and care about. Do it in the kindest possible way, as not to make it awkward for the rest of the year, and out of the kindness of your heart. Imagine if it was the other way around, how would you want to be treated?

In the end, it was something that needed to be done. It’s a rough road but I’m supremely confident that we will all stay friends and be able to hang out next year.

I wish luck to anyone that must go through this situation. It flat out stinks.