This year the university has asked the Office of Student Union and Activities not to host its annual Off Campus Housing Fair on the Set.
An OSUA official said that the university is trying to encourage students to live in more of the on-campus dorms and apartments, so they want to avoid promoting any other housing options.
This weekend the Resident Housing Association has planned a social and “Luau Fun Day” equipped with a disc jockey, free food and music in an attempt to engage the housing residents.
It remains to be seen if this will be enough convince them to stay.
I know the university is trying to scrape up money any way they can, but how many more people do they think they can convince to live on campus again?
I don’t know what the projected numbers of the next freshman class look like, but I don’t think it will be enough to make a real difference.
And as far as upperclassmen, it’s pretty much a lost cause.
I really wonder what type of promotion the university thinks they can do to make living on-campus a tempting option.
It is close and convenient, but for most people it’s more affordable to go elsewhere.
Besides, what substantial perks can they highlight?
Just about every person on this campus will live in a dorm once, and I’m sure it’s an experience worth forgetting.
The bathrooms are always scattered with trash and the rooms are cramped.
The crime of this past year has also taught us that the security is questionable on campus as well.
To be fair, the social aspect of it should not be forgotten.
You do meet the friends that you will probably keep until you graduate.
But most upperclassmen have already made friends and the desire to have a space of your own is much stronger.
What really causes people to detest the dorm experience is being treated like children.
If you pay your room and board fees to lease your room just like others pay rent to lease an apartment, why would you choose to be subjected to weekly room inspections, broken amenities and no visitation rights?
I’m sure university officials aren’t so naive that they really think students have forgotten all of these things.
I know that the university is on a financial mission, but this is one battle where they must concede.
If anything, try to improve the quality of life in the dorms for the students to come.
Work on those things that give people horror stories, and perhaps future Rattlers may come to love the experience so much that they’ll continue to stay on campus.
For those of us who have already been through it, I’m sure it will take a lot more than a “Luau Fun Day” and social to lure us back.
Samantha Long is a sophomore broadcast journalism student from Atlanta. She can be reached at hidlake@aol.com.