The Campus' Official Guide to Housing

Author: Ben Salkowe

In a few weeks Room Draw 2005 will be at your doorstep. It will start with the arrival of your dear room draw card shortly after Spring Break. Then there will be stress and anxiousness, pouring over fine-print, hard-to-read floor plans and knocking on strangers' doors to see their rooms. Finally the hell-day itself will be here - mark your calendars for April 19-21.

We here at The Campus thought we might try and make your room draw a happier affair. With that goal in mind, our "Official Campus Housing Inspectors" went out and thoroughly inspected just about every housing option you could find on this campus (minus social and special interest houses). They talked to many of you and polled your thoughts on everything from showers to neighbors. They took note of walking distances and hall noise - nothing escaped their critical eyes.

The next few pages of this "guide" are the fruits of their labor and offer some real guidance to your smorgasbord of options at room draw. The honest criticism you will not find on the room draw Web site (which will reportedly be updated and online in the next few days). But what about room draw? How does it work?

For first-years without a clue, our best advice is to take advantage of information sessions. Your commons will be holding information sessions after Spring Break to arm you with mad room draw skills. Upperclassmen - this year room draw will be pretty much all it was last year.

So instead of rehashing the room draw rules, we offer instead some tips.



The room draw card



Around the first week of April, students will begin finding small cards in their mailbox with numbers on them. Meet your Room Draw Card. Your room draw card will have some general information such as your name and year, but what you will be frantically searching for are some numbers - your class draw and commons draw number. The class draw number is your rank out of all 600 or so people in your class, the commons draw number is your rank out of the 100-something people in your commons, who are also in your class.

Here is some perspective - if your commons draw number is below 100 and you continue in your commons, you will almost assuredly walk out of room draw with a room to your liking (even those going for singles). If your commons draw number is below 150, you will likely crawl out with a room (and ulcer) but it likely will not be your top pick. For those above 150, you may want to find a friend with a better number to room with, or brace yourself for summer draw (see "Hello, 647" on p.16).



First-years



By now you are either ready to smoother your roommate in his or her sleep, or in the Ross singles maybe you are gnawing your limbs off from isolation. Room draw could very well be your ticket to a better life. First you need to ask yourself some questions: Do I want to continue in my commons? Do I want to room with someone?

Sticking with your commons is a much easier way to navigate room draw. The system caters to students continuing in their commons. In addition, continuing in your commons means you will accumulate commons points, which are valuable when you are a senior or junior. In most cases continuing in your commons will also give you the option of living in a single.

If you do not want to continue in your commons, you will need either a good friend in another commons, or a willingness to live in whatever closet is available (see "Breakin' Out" on p.17). On the first option, if you have a friend in Atwater to room with, you can be drawn into a double in that commons on the Atwater friend's number. Your number and commons will not matter. If you have to have it all - getting into a new commons and a single - you better be a senior or prepared to head to summer draw.



Choosing a room



Our last suggestion has to do with choosing your room. Think about what you want to be near and what amenities you like at your disposal.

Majoring in a natural science? Living near McCardell Bicentennial Hall might be convenient. Like to cook on weekends? Being on a floor with a kitchen could be handy.

Aside from reading our guide, take the time to check out your new digs before room draw. With the exception of seniors, everyone is stressing over the same deal, and most people do not mind taking the time to give you the ups and downs of their living situation. Looking at what you are drawing ahead of time could save you a lot of trouble later on.

Finally, accept the fact that there really is no housing at Middlebury that can rightfully be called unlivable. It is all good if not great. Relax, take a breath and dare we say have fun!