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Some student group members seek alternative housing for 2022 Reunions after being denied housing

Dark brown and beige university building with gothic architecture on a sunny day.
Richardson Auditorium
Isabel Richardson / The Daily Princetonian

On April 18, the Princeton Reunions Team fulfilled 67.6 percent of the bed requests from student performing groups for Reunions. 

In an email to The Daily Princetonian, University spokesperson Ayana Gibbs-Okoya noted that “20 performing groups requested [a total of] 281” beds, and 190 beds were allocated to these groups. 

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Ninety one requests were denied by the Reunions Team, but some students applied for housing through multiple performing groups, which means that in reality fewer than 91 students are without housing.

According to Gibbs-Okoya, the Reunions Team had 547 available beds to allocate to “all students working at Reunions” including dining workers, golf cart crew members, wristband check-in personnel, EcoReps, and students in performing groups. Of those 547 beds, 357 were allocated to student workers who were not requesting housing through performing arts groups.

In an email sent to each performing group with their allocations last week, Princeton Reunions noted that in order to qualify for on-campus housing, the student group must be a recognized ODUS organization, be engaged with its alumni during the academic year, and hold an event at Reunions for its alumni.  

“Decisions about housing allocation were made by considering the number of beds requested by each group [meeting the above criteria] as well as the group’s past bed allocation,” according to Gibbs-Okoya.

According to Gabriela Veciana ’24, vice president of the Triangle Club, the group requested “51 beds and [was] granted 30.” 

Veciana also noted that Triangle’s student housing list had “lots of overlap with other [student performing] groups, so some students got housing through their other groups.” Other students will be sharing space with seniors or sharing the beds allocated. 

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Part of Triangle’s solution to the bed shortage was “buying a few air mattresses,” and Veciana noted that despite the denial of their request, all of Triangle’s housing needs “should be accounted for.”

Julia Elman ’23, president of the Princeton University Players (PUP), told the ‘Prince’ that PUP received “about half the number of beds” it required for its cast and crew, which resulted in “almost canceling [their] show.” 

According to Elman, by utilizing the allocated beds, along with floor space, space with students who received housing through other means, and nearby cast members’ homes, PUP was ultimately able to find housing for its student performers.

Elman said that the experience caused PUP to decide to not perform for Reunions next year. She said she felt that the University was “not prioritizing the current students in any way.”

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All student performing groups must complete Reunions working tasks in addition to performing for their alumni. Gibbs-Okoya indicated that “the Reunions team plans to distribute Reunions working tasks within the next two weeks” that “will align with performance schedules.”

Gibbs-Okoya also noted that the University hopes “to have housing assignments posted on May 4.” Students will move from their current rooms to Reunions housing “around May 15.”

Madeleine LeBeau is a Staff Writer for the ‘Prince.’ She can be reached at mlebeau@princeton.edu, on Instagram @madeleinelebeau, or on Twitter @MadeleineLeBeau.