There has been a lot of attention focused on the housing situation at Quinnipiac this year. Students are divided because of mixed feelings regarding each of the freshman dorms. This year there are over 1300 freshmen and many of them live in campus owned housing. The big issue seems to be the differences in size and layout of each of the freshman dorms. Irma and Dana both house three students in each room via a loft and a bunk bed along with the customary wardrobes and desks. Commons and Ledges are set up as quads which they feature four loft beds, plus a wardrobe and desk for each student.
“The rooms are too small for three people. It’s just not fair that some freshmen have really nice dorms i.e. Commons. Why don’t they just make them the same size so no one can complain?” Dave Delsonno, an Irma resident, said. “The size of the dorms in Irma and Dana seem to be about half the size of the dorms in Commons and Ledges.”
Many of the people who actually live in Irma or Dana had positive comments regarding their dorm rooms. They seem to get along well with their neighbors.
“Everyone says that Irma and Dana are not that good because they are so small but I wouldn’t mind. They are so much closer and they are all best friends,” Ledges resident Jim Meringer said.
“I love it. Everyone hangs out in the hallway. I like the setup – it’s a lot more social everyone knows each other on the floor. It is tight but we manage,” Irma resident Dana Steinberg said.
“I really like it; I think I would like it better than being in a four person room. There is not any waiting for showers.” Irma resident, Nicole Neese stated.
“I feel really comfortable and cozy even though commons is bigger,” Nicole Babbona replied when asked about how she feels in her dorm room with 2 other people.
“I feel like we have enough room. The desks are bigger and we have a good set-up here. We are all really good friends,” sophomore, Sara Flynn who lives in Dana stated.
“There is a better group interaction in Irma because everyone leaves their doors open. At the other dorms the doors are closed. It is quieter here too. But we have to keep the room neater,” Irma resident, Andrew Hayden said.
“I was anticipating many complaints but to be completely honest, I have not received a single complaint from my residents about living in Irma. They actually enjoy the community feeling and are appreciative of the Irma/Dana environment they live in,” Krystal Ristaino, an RA from Irma stated.
While some students had only good things to say about their dorm rooms, others were not quite as happy with their placements. Students spoke of being crowded in the small rooms.
“I actually like the Commons better. They have four people but the rooms are bigger and the ceilings are a lot higher. We hit our heads on the ceilings,” Communications major and Dana resident, John Cangley said.
“I think our room looks small. I like our building better but I wish we were closer to commons because that is where all the freshman are,” Nursing Major, Heather Vazquez stated. Vazquez lives in Ledges.
“There is not a year that goes by that an RA does not have a complaint about the room size especially in Irma and Dana. Residential Life is doing the best they can about the housing. Furthermore, other college and university campuses have the same or worse situation,” Dana Conseglio, who is an RA in Dana this year added.
Another situation that students living in the residence halls have to deal with is the unavailability of many of the study lounges. This year the study lounges in all of the freshman dorms are being used by as many as 8 students as a dorm room. This change causes the students to find other places to study instead of being able to study in a room down the hall.
“Unfortunately we do not have enough triples or quads for our freshman but many of the students living in the lounges enjoy the amount of space they have however I wish some of the study lounges were open for academic reasons,” Irma RA, Ristaino replied when asked about the students who live in the study lounges.
I like it a lot. It is a lot of fun,” Ledges resident, Jess Cassidy said. She is just one of several students who share a study lounge as a room.
“It is unfortunate for the people who live in the lounges, but I have no problem at all with the situation. Also ask anyone who lived or lives in a lounge, most of them enjoy it more than they resent it,” Dana RA, Conseglio added.
As for students who live in Commons or Ledges, most students do enjoy the size of the rooms. The one problem these residents do notice however is the bathroom conditions.
“I can’t handle the communal bathrooms because they are so dirty and they don’t get cleaned over the weekends,” Commons resident, Kristin Smith stated.
“I know some residents who are not completely satisfied about the living situation this year but this summer I worked in the Residential Life office and was able to see how hard the director and assistant directors work trying to accommodate each and every student,” Irma RA, Ristaino said.
Many students are adjusting in a positive way to this new home away from home at Quinnipiac University. They go to meetings and participate in activities to get to know other people and their new surroundings.
“Our hall is pretty close because we have a lot of meetings. We do a lot of activities here so that we can bond and know each other. We don’t separate from each other, everything is shared,” Emily Sedita, an Occupational Therapy major who lives in Ledges, added.
“I like living here and being part of a community and I get to meet a lot of new people,” Jen Napiorski, who lives in Commons, stated.
Although the dorm sizes and occupants may not be equal to each other it is still possible to have an encouraging year because it is up to the student to make the school year go productively for themselves.
“With a university that is ever changing in popularity I feel that Residential Life is handling the responsibility of housing the best they can. Freshman housing is a memory you will never forget and in reality it does not matter where you live, but it is the attitude you have,” Dana RA, Conseglio concluded.
