“I like the way room draw is done [here] much more than the way it is done at other schools,” said Shannon Finucane ’12.
At other schools, room draw is not randomly ordered. At some, it is assigned according to grade point average, with the top of the class picking first. “However, I think that the problem with it is that once you figure out the smart way to go in — not in an odd numbered group, in a six-man — then it’s too late,” said Finucane. “You’re already old enough so that it doesn’t affect whether you get a good or bad pick.”
This year, the first night of room draw went relatively smoothly according to members of the Student Housing Activities Committee (SHAC) that oversees room draw. There was a problem on the first night with the computers, but that was quickly remedied. However, “the process is very long and things can get confusing by using both a computer and a manual system,” said SHAC member Erikka James ’11. “I think it would be ideal to have some sort of an online form where you log on at a specific time, pick what’s available and move on.”
This year’s room draw went so smoothly because the same dorms students are living in this year are the same that will be open next year, said SHAC member Peter Harrison ’11.
“With this year being the first ‘repeat’ year, the housing office and the student body had a pretty solid idea of what to expect,” said Harrison. “Perhaps the most surprising aspect of room draw this year was the Jenkins 10-man lottery. Of the three groups that got a suite, only one was comprised of all seniors. In past years, Jenkins 10-man suites have been entirely filled by seniors.”
Another noted difference from last year is that in the fall, all five social dorms will have seniors living in them. “While the Socials may be seen as ‘dirtier’ than the rest of the dorms, they have the common rooms and suite style living that can’t be found anywhere else on campus,” said Chris Linsmayer ’11. “Before we even saw our options on the night of room draw, we decided that we were going to live in the Socials because of the set-up and the fact that they are more on campus than the Triangle dorms. I think the quad also promotes a greater sense of community than the Triangle area does.”
Students choose their housing assignments based on a myriad of reasons that include location, cleanliness, noise level and room set-up. “Housing preference changes every year per grade and it is always interesting to see what teams live where and how everyone is divided,” said James. “Despite all the drama that surrounds room draw everyone ends up with somewhere to live.”