Balance in housing

A ccording to a recent Undergraduate Assembly survey, two-thirds of undergraduates are in favor of housing space almost exclusively for freshmen. The key word? Almost. With the survey results as support, the UA Steering committee has presented a number of recommendations to school administrators. The proposal advises increasing the percentage of rooms reserved for freshmen in the Quadrangle, Hill College House and Kings Court/English House. In addition, freshmen living in the high rises would be concentrated in Harrison.

The UA is certainly on the right track.

The University should make a better effort to ensure that freshmen don't end up living in Gregory -- a dorm mostly occupied by upperclassmen -- simply because there isn't enough space available in the dorms traditionally occupied by first-year students.

Yet there is a difference between freshman-concentrated housing and forcing all freshmen to live in specified dorms. Some students find the idea of the Quadrangle unappealing and should still be allowed to pursue other non-traditional housing options.

The UA, along with school administrators, should work to balance the need for freshmen to have options available to them with the need for first-year students to live in freshmen-concentrated housing.

A mix of upperclassmen and freshmen can sometimes be beneficial. Recognizing that, administrators should limit two of the three College Houses in the Quad to freshmen while leaving the third open to all classes.

This restriction would merge the best of both worlds, creating an environment centered on freshmen while still allowing for interaction with upperclassmen, all in the same space.

With such a diverse set of housing opportunities on campus, the University would be remiss in limiting the housing options of freshmen.

Instead, it must ensure that all freshmen have the choice -- and are not forced -- to live only among their peers.

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