New Room Draw Policy Distributes Blocks, Houses Among Commons

Author: Emily Thayer

Last Wednesday, Residential Systems Coordinator Mariah McKechnie '01 met with the Student Government Association (SGA) to present two scenarios for the distribution of senior housing blocks among the five commons and to answer questions concerning changes in room draw procedure.

McKechnie has chosen to implement the block distribution scenario recommended by the SGA, which according to McKechnie, "gives Brainerd Commons a few more beds and Cook Commons a few less" than the other scenario proposed. The commons deans met with McKechnie earlier that day and recommended the same scenario. Under the old system for senior block housing, students from any commons could draw into any house or block, whereas under the new system students drawing into a house affiliated with their own commons have a greater advantage.

The decision between the two block allocation scenarios came down to which commons needed senior-quality housing the most.

The integration of commons affiliation into senior block draw is one of many steps the College is taking to strengthen the commons system on campus. Earlier this year, President John McCardell announced that the new LaForce Hall would be open only to seniors in Ross Commons. In order to compensate for this advantage given to rising Ross seniors, McKechnie assigned block housing to the other commons. She said of this decision, "LaForce was exactly the catalyst for these room draw changes. It is the first step towards a fully functioning commons and that necessitated making changes for the other four commons."

Associate Provost and Associate Professor of American Literature and Civilization Timothy Spears said that Ross "needed a space to belong to the commons." By filling the residence with rising Ross seniors, the new space would be incorporated more easily into the commons. Spears also noted that the College had to keep in mind the members of Ross who have stayed in the commons with hopes of living in LaForce during their senior years.

The senior block draw system has been changed to accommodate the new commons affiliation requirement. The old chips system has been replaced with a random number system, which McKechnie said was "much like the old underclass draws."

"One student draws the block with a random number and pulls friends in," she elucidated.

Senior Senator Kevin King '02 pointed out that the new plan "helps out Brainerd and Atwater, the two commons with the least 'natural' senior housing. Since Cook has Forest and Pearsons, which I see as 'natural' senior housing already, I thought that giving that 'extra' 10 percent to Brainerd and Atwater instead was the better option."

Aside from giving more beds to Brainerd and fewer to Cook, the scenarios were very similar in regard to the other commons. When she drew up the two plans, McKechnie said she took into account that the other commons already had what was traditionally seen as senior housing and did not need the blocks as badly as Brainerd.

Brainerd will be at a greater loss this year for block housing, as it has been announced that Centeno will be out for renovation. In response to concerns raised about the lack of block housing available in Brainerd, McKechnie stated, "We have blocked rooms in Hepburn and Brooker house and have given Brainerd a good selection of senior houses and blocks. We are definitely aware of the situation and are doing our best to make things equal."

Brainerd Commons Senator Stoddart Pierce '04, who raised these concerns at the SGA meeting, felt that, because of Brainerd students' loyalty to the commons, they "deserved to get as much support for senior-quality housing as possible."

He asserted, "Brooker is no means an answer to this problem. Brainerd needs more options for group living like is available in New Dorms and Gifford. Suites that are available in these dorms are very popular and I think that Brainerd deserves a chance to live in housing like this."

Pierce was satisfied with the possible creation of suites in Hepburn for next year, an option suggested by Spears.

In an attempt to give junior counselors (JCs) an advantage in the room draw process and to replace the extra chips which they were given under the old system, McKechnie said that JCs will now receive a priority number for room draw. This means that "they are guaranteed good housing, but not necessarily a senior block," she explained. Under the new system, JCs will have an advantage during open draw, but unless they have a commons affiliation, they are equal to all other seniors in block draw.

McKechnie took into account the geographic location of the residences when allocating them to a commons in order to create the feeling of a commons neighborhood. For example, the senior residence on Shannon Street will be allocated to Atwater because of its proximity to Allen, which is already a part of the commons.

Another issue brought up at the SGA meeting was the placement of academic interest housing in residences which have traditionally been senior block housing. The Spanish, Russian, Italian and German houses have been moved to Hillcrest Road behind Proctor and will remain there for at least two years. The current academic interest houses will be converted into senior block housing and allotted to a commons. McKechnie said that the houses were moved for many different reasons, one of which was to make them more visible on campus and to increase interest in their programs. The new locations are also more accessible to professors and advisors.

The the academic interest house relocation came after results of house evaluations were released two weeks ago. McKechnie said that the rationale behind the moving the houses was to match interest in the house and its capacity.

McKechnie noted that rising seniors "may be losing three good houses, but they are not necessarily gaining three bad ones" in exchange. She encouraged rising seniors to consider the former-academic interest houses which are now available to them in block draw.

King noted that these changes would take time to become accepted. "I think students will take a year or two to get used to the concept. To be more specific, I think rising seniors will be displeased with this system not so much for the changes it makes but for the timeline along which they are made. Notice of a change of this magnitude would preferably come more than a year in advance such that students could plan for it."