| << Front page | Commentary | March 11, 2005 |
Off-campus living: a student right
It’s another snowy spring in Oberlin and housing is on the minds of students. Where will I live next semester? What will happen when I study abroad? What if I don’t like my housing arrangements? These are just a few of the questions students have been asking themselves this week. ResLife, soon to be renamed ResEd, is giving students more options with the new Union Street housing. But what does this actually symbolize? ResLife wants to keep students on campus despite the already poor condition of some dorms, insufficient water pressure, extreme temperature changes, cramped rooms and little storage space within rooms.
There has even been talk of transforming Oberlin into a residential campus; i.e., no more off-campus housing not controlled by ResLife. How is this appealing? What choice is there for people trying to escape the long arm of ResLife that abhors candles, incense and things hanging from the ceilings? The Union Street housing may be alluring but as much as the department reassures us the construction will be finished on time in August, there have even been reports that students will be placed in the Oberlin Inn if necessary. Who knows how long that may last if problems with the new buildings appear or if construction lags further and further behind schedule? With the recent, near-constant weather fluctuations, how will the construction advance to meet the deadline?
Juniors are virtually forced to choose on-campus housing because of the late notification of off-campus eligibility. May 2 does not give a person much time to find a lease or apartment that might fit their standards of living, unless extremely lucky. It can become a bitter experience to qualify for off-campus, only to find that due to the lack of notice, one is unable to locate a place to live. Then where can a person turn? The slim pickings on campus become the only option.
The College has argued that reducing the number of students off campus will
help the town’s real estate market, but in fact many Oberlin residents
depend on the income generated by Oberlin students seeking apartments off
campus. With a push from ResLife to close the gates of freedom to off-campus
housing, property owners will find themselves losing key sources of revenue.
There are also students that will continue to lose money with ResLife’s
insistence on College housing. Numerous students rely on financial aid and the
cost of living away from ResLife is significantly cheaper. Perhaps thinking
about the students’ best interests over profit should be on
ResLife’s agenda. Oberlin has always been a place of choice, but the
choices are dwindling away in terms of on- or off-campus housing. Granted, the
dorm experience is essential, but not for all four or five years of academic
study. Dorm life does not suit every person, but ResLife seems to ignore this
fact. With the possibility of inconsiderate neighbors, playing loud music or
having raucous parties, doubled by the very thin walls in the dorms, numerous
people seek other living. Or perhaps there is a smoker who wants the chance to
finally smoke inside, out of the rain. Outside of village housing there is
nothing offered by ResLife to accommodate this. Yet, as time keeps moving,
ResLife slowly tightens the cinch to control students’ selections of
housing.Listen to the students. They call for off-campus accessibility and less
restrictions for off-campus housing. Six semesters of on-campus living is too
much; four would be more reasonable. Having a happy and comfortable home away
from home is extremely important in a stressful, competitive and fast-paced
environment like Oberlin College, so why doesn’t ResLife work with
students to make their stay in Oberlin the best possible? A happy Obie will
bring future Obies.
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