I remember back to my Freshman year when I was certain that I would be spending four eventful years in close contact with my friends here at Quinnipiac. Oh, how I miss good old Quinnipiac College sometimes.
Don’t get me wrong, I am happy that Quinnipiac has become a University. The acknowledgement I get when I tell people I attend this school is really flattering. I took a trip to Vermont this past fall, and had two complete strangers approach me complimenting the school. I felt like a walking billboard. I didn’t mind however. I think that the education I have gotten here so far is a great one, and I am sure most students feel the same.
I won’t say, however, that I wasn’t thinking about the problems that we were having in the back of my head. Parking, housing, this and that, and I didn’t realize what kind of problems I would be facing later in the semester.
Fast forward to last semester’s midterm. The halls were abuzz with students talking about their stress concerning exams. As junior students went to check their mail, a routine that can usually serve as a welcome diversion during a hectic day, they found a letter that wasn’t as comforting as the one they were probably hoping to receive from family and friends.
Now, months after juniors got the letter telling them that they were basically getting “kicked-off” campus, many are in a frantic search for a place to live. Some have already found apartments. However, it is a lucky few. Many are still looking, and they might not be able to start applying until the early spring.
Residential Life has provided juniors thus far with lists of apartment complexes around the area, some of which don’t have many apartments available for rent. Juniors are constantly haunted with news of how complexes are not allowing students to rent their apartments. Students can only assume that these stories have some validity, especially when it comes to renting apartments in Hamden. (It is a pretty well known fact that Quinnipiac students aren’t on the top of the “favorite people” lists of many Hamden residents).
The fact of the matter is, juniors need to know where we stand in this whole situation. Who will let us rent their apartments? Who won’t? What do we do if we have a lot more trouble finding a place than we expected? When is the best time to apply? What if we can’t find housing? How will the move affect our financial aid? How will the parking situation be handled now that all of the seniors have to commute to school? These are a few questions that are weighing on the minds of many juniors. For $25,950 a year, I think we at least deserve some timely answers.
A lot of us are doing what we can on our own to solve this problem for ourselves, however when you take into account the amount of work we have to handle, it can get a little overwhelming. Residential Life stated in their letter that they would provide meetings to help us through the process of finding a new home, yet nothing has happened to date.
The dates to apply for off-campus housing are quickly approaching, so someone needs to step up and live up to the promises made to the juniors.