Since our first day of arriving here at Quinnipiac University, one of the key concepts that has been drilled into our heads is the idea that we are a community. We’re encouraged to get involved, join clubs, meet new people and work together to make our campus as united as possible. Sorry, Quinnipiac, but as a junior this year, I’d have to say that this attempt is an epic fail. For the first time in the school’s history, only one dorm on campus is designated for juniors. Most are now living in the apartment complexes of Whitney Village, York Hill or in an off-campus house somewhere secluded. The novel idea that we are all a joint community has officially been thrown out the window.
What’s more is that this year virtually all Health Science majors are finding themselves commuting to a completely isolated campus in North Haven. Though this new campus does provide a more scholarly and educational environment for these students, their days of strolling around the quad and wafting in the scent of the fish trees is now just a thing of the past. Even for those of us who still make the commute to Mount Carmel Avenue are finding ourselves feeling a little out of place. With no academic buildings along Bobcat Way, what used to be an everyday trek past the Bobcat Den is now a rare occurrence. I’ve even found myself a few times going in just to see if the Mondo line is still 30 kids long, or if Mexican Mondays are still the highlight of everyone’s start to the week.
The point I’m trying to make here is that it seems hypocritical that QU is forcing its students to live off campus by their junior year after preaching community-building. I spent an entire semester sitting in QU 101 learning about the importance of community just to be exiled by the time I’m a junior. How did this happen? Why is there suddenly no room for us on the once accommodating campus?
The answer seems to lie in just one simple statement. The freshman class is absolutely massive. Freshman housing now not only consists of Ledges, Commons and Irma/Dana, but Perlroth, Larson and Troup as well. Mountainview, Village and New Village are where sophomores lodge, and Hill remains to be the only dorm on campus designated for junior housing.
It almost seems misleading to refer to our campus as the “Quinnipiac Community,” particularly where a good portion of the QU student body rarely even steps foot on the grounds. Though some students may be happy with the fact that they are living off campus, the University should still give you the option to remain on campus at least until your senior year. If Quinnipiac is so keen on providing us with this productive community, it should be a top priority to have room within the community for its students.
