Summer draw numbers stagnate

Author: Dina Magaril

Inevitable room draw imperfections have once again left many underclassmen with unsettled living situations for next fall, but the actual number of students entering summer draw this year does not appear to be cause for serious concern.

As of Tuesday, Cook Commons had received the most applications for summer draw at 35. Brainerd Commons followed with 25 applications, Atwater with 19, Wonnaccott with 18 and Ross with only eight students entering summer draw. These figures do not include juniors who are waiting for approval to go abroad.

To be considered for summer room draw, an applicant must fill out an online preference form early in the summer. The actual draw process, however, does not occur until after the third week in July.

"More rooms, usually singles, open up as the summer goes on," said Kelly Bevere, assistant dean of the College, explaining why the College waits so long before proceeding with room draw. The rooms that become available are usually those given to juniors whose study abroad plans are not yet solidified. Students who withdraw or are dismissed from the College also contribute to the free rooms during summer draw.

Mahsa Jafarian, a first-year Feb currently living in Cook Commons' Forest Hall, is frustrated with her room situation. "By the time it was my turn to pick a room there were only spots available in Fletcher, and I wanted to live closer to campus. Now I'm just waiting for summer draw and hope I'll get a single in any commons," she said.

According to Cook Commons Dean David Edleson, there are usually around 100 students who are not housed at the end of room draw and are forced into the infamous summer draw. One of the goals of the new room draw system was to evenly distribute the number of students left without housing among the five commons. Edleson referred to his first-year students in Cook, saying that out of 176 first-years, only 18 were placed into summer draw.

Edleson also commented that he believes room draw will always be unpredictable, and nearly impossible to equalize. However, everyone is working to improve room draw for the future. "Next year, we will likely adjust the senior caps in each commons in order to make the numbers among commons more even," Edleson said.

Within his own commons, Edleson hopes to make changes in the way rooms are drawn in Forest. Currently, students living in Forest have a single and a sink mate, and one student can pull another to be his or her sink mate regardless of commons affiliation.

However, not all students are unhappy with room draw. Alex Elias, a first-year in Wonnaccott Commons, says he does not mind not being able to live in Gifford next year. "I thought I would get a single because my number was 68," he said "but instead I have a pretty nice double in Starr next year so I really don't mind it."

One major difficulty inherent in room draw is the necessity to be accommodating to each class. "Seniors want to be able to live with their friends and have the flexibility to live in senior-quality housing," Edelson said. Meanwhile, "sophomores want to be able to continue in their commons and with their friends from their halls." With this sort of formula it is difficult to please everyone, but those on room draw are doing their best to make everyone happy.

"We do our best to balance these two, but there will always be some disappointment and some tension. I often feel like the Cheshire Cat, smiling while pointing in two opposite directions," Edleson said.

Final summer draw arrangements should be available around late August. Until then, homeless students can do nothing but wait with fingers crossed.