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The Housing Debacle by Abigail Langweiler Adjusting to college life is a challenge on its own, but when settling in is out of the question, things become even more difficult. That is the problem facing about 60 freshmen, including myself, living in temporary housing this semester. Although that is only a fraction of the number of incoming freshmen, the tribulations of temporary housing are certainly worthy of acknowledgment. Setting up a dormitory room is one of the most effective
aspects of settling into college. It is so important to know that there
is a place to go to any time of the day and be alone or be reminded
of home during the first few months away at school. This is made extremely
difficult by being placed in temporary housing, or a lounge. Knowing
that what is supposed to be your home is only temporary makes getting
used to new surroundings and a new life more challenging than it should
be. This experience made it particularly difficult for me to adjust
to college life because displaying pictures of friends and family, setting
up my stereo and computer, and unpacking my clothes and other items
plays a significant role in my life. A feeling of attachment to my home
life certainly helps new students become accustomed to a new atmosphere.
The administration should be trying to aid new students in getting through
this difficult time not placing them in rooms where they might be uprooted
at any moment. It is almost impossible to truly develop a routine when
you know that your surroundings are not permanent. The fact that too
many students are enrolled at Ithaca College is not our fault, so why
should we suffer? The answer is quite clear. If the administration places
students in lounges, they should be permitted to remain in the rooms
for at least the semester. If the students on the floor agree to sacrifice
their lounge space so that students in temporary housing can feel at
home, we should be permitted to keep\ those rooms. This would prevent
a great deal of unnecessary stress related to being in temporary housing. Aside from the tremendous emotional strain caused
by temporary housing, there are a variety of technical problems that
occur. Since lounges are not meant to house students, the phone and
computer jacks may not be activated upon arrival and that may take a
week and a half to straighten out. Contact with friends and family is
very important because it helps prevent homesickness. Easing the pain
of being away from home for an extended period of time is something
the administration at IC should strive to accomplish.
Working phone lines and functional computer jacks would help them to reach this goal. Electrical outlets are also difficult to use. They are spread so far apart from each other that the number of devices a college student may need are impossible to plug in. Although an armoire, a desk, and a bed are provided for each student in the room, there is not nearly enough space for clothing and other items. A dresser and shelves are missing from the furniture allotment as well as quite a bit of closet space. Students placed in temporary housing should be notified of any problems or deficiencies in their rooms before they arrive on campus so they are able to prepare their phone and computer jacks, buy surge protection strips, and purchase space conserving items. The process of providing for students in temporary housing is poorly managed and certainly takes longer than it should. The administration should not accept more students than it can house, and if they must, they should provide them with a place to live. We're supposed to get what we pay for. Abigail Langweiler is a freshman journalism major at Ithaca College. |
