Waiting for a place to call home

When she approached the doors of Scully Hall close to her 2:33 p.m. draw time on the second day of junior room draw, Carlyne Turner '02 was sure she would be home-free and living in the single of her choice during her junior year.

But it was not to be.

"I was really surprised. At one o'clock, all the singles were gone," said Turner, who drew by herself. "I was disturbed that I had to go on the wait list."

With only Thursday remaining for upperclass draw, more than 57 juniors will be forced to go on the wait list for housing, according to information available on the University housing Webpage.

"I just want a single somewhere. I don't have any size preferences," Turner said. "I drew by myself, so if I don't get to live in a single, I won't have any other options."

Though 273 rising juniors have yet to draw, only 28 doubles, 20 triples and 20 quads remain, according to the housing Webpage. All singles were occupied for next year by the beginning of the afternoon on the second junior draw day, March 28.

"I think all the singles were gone by one on Thursday, so I was forced to go on the wait list," said Bonnie Lau '02, who drew with six other people at 2:39 p.m. on the second day. "A lot of people from our class just wanted singles this year."

Last year, 75 students from the Class of 2001 were on the wait list after room draw, and all were assigned rooms by the end of the summer, assistant director of undergraduate housing Lisa DePaul said.

"Many [students] requested singles. Some were placed in singles and others were placed in vacancies in suites," said DePaul, who would not confirm how many students this year have already indicated they will go on the wait list. "Although the housing department does not guarantee housing for every student, in years past we have succeeded in finding housing on campus for each student who needed it."

"We will make every effort to house every student," she added.

Though the housing wait list will not be officially counted before April 21, when wait list forms are due, this year's wait list is likely to be larger than last year's not only because more students have requested singles, but also because the sophomore class is about 50 students larger than the junior class.

"I really cannot speculate how many more people are going to be on the wait list this year than last year, but it will be bigger by a handful," DePaul said.

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Vice President for Finance and Administration Richard Spies GS '72 said fewer rooms are available for upperclassmen now because many students who go abroad draw a room and later rescind their housing contracts.

"Students who are involved in the process [of room draw] may not be here in the fall either because they study abroad or take a semester off. So there is some melt in the numbers," Spies said."It may not be easy for students, but it is early to panic. There are always ways to accommodate everyone."

Those on the wait list are assigned rooms beginning July 1, according to DePaul. The requests of those juniors and seniors who draw on the third day and apply for room improvement are addressed first, before the wait list is accommodated.

"Students on the wait list are assigned rooms even through late August, when more vacancies occur. The deadline to cancel room contracts is August 10, so a lot of cancellations come in then," DePaul said.

Some students cancel their room contracts over the summer because they commit to a leave of absence, are required to withdraw or decide to live off campus, according to DePaul. Last year, 132 students decided to live off campus or in eating clubs on Prospect Avenue.

Of the 75 students who were on the wait list last year, 33 were placed in singles, 20 in doubles together, three in a triple and four in preexisting quads, DePaul said.

"Well, there is not too much that I can do," said Edmund Chiang '02, who plans to go on the wait list after his 9:30 a.m., third-day draw time. "Whatever happens, I will live somewhere. It won't be that bad."