Off-campus: The reality of residing elsewhere
Stop bitching about living off-campus — if it happens, it happens. It’s as good or as bad as you make it.
Decide what matters most to you about your housing situation — make sure you take care of that and everything else will be alright.
If you have NO CAR, I can tell you what matters most — location. Believe it or not there are many places available within walking distance (5-15 minutes) of campus, and plenty are still on the market.
Even if you have a car, location matters. Here’s what else to look for: laundry situation (you want a washer and dryer), rooms (get a single if you can; it’s worth it), multiple bathrooms (when you gotta go, you gotta go) and decent parking (unless you want to be blocked in on your way to class or park two blocks away).
Whether you want to live off-campus or are forced to, remember this: You can party without CAs, you can stay when College housing closes, and that girl next-door who complains about noise during quiet hours — she’s gone.
Oh, and here’s the secret: Go to ewingrentals.com.
– Brendan McGrath, Features Editor
Pro-Hotel: Give suites a chance
When I first heard the College was considering putting students in hotels, two things crossed my mind: “Who would actually want to do that?” and “That reminds me of that Disney Channel show.” Yes, I thought of Zach and Cody’s time at the Tipton, but then upon further research I realized this housing option may actually be pretty suite — pun intended. While I don’t necessarily plan on pursuing the hotels myself (I’m without a car and resultantly iffy about the shuttle system), I don’t think students should automatically dismiss it. For those with cars, it is convenient and avoids the uncertainty of going into the housing lottery. Certainly it may be a bumpy transition at first, but I’m sure it’d be quite an experience and not a regrettable one. With a kitchenette, television and DVD player in some rooms, along with pool access, it doesn’t seem half-bad; in fact, it doesn’t seem bad at all.
– Jamie Primeau, Managing Editor
No-Hotel: Why hotels aren’t ideal
One of the main reasons I decided to enroll at the College was the amazing campus. After living in Cromwell Hall my freshman year and Centennial Hall my sophomore year, it’s unfair that I might never be able to enjoy the nicer campus buildings as an upperclassmen because the College’s management decided to make untimely renovations to a building that should be replaced altogether. If I was forced into a hotel living condition, I would still have to commute to classes, pay overpriced parking permits and ultimately not be able to enjoy being a real member of the College’s campus life. I also work late nights at The Signal, sometimes getting back to my room around seven in the morning. Should I really have to live in a hotel? I’m a student, not a tourist.
– Tom Ciccone, News Editor
