The Mirror | Week of Nov. 17, 2010
News
Page 6
The Truth About Housing By Caroline Holleran Contributing Writer
As new dorm and apartment housing goes up, Fairfield students are becoming increasingly worried that the University will use all these empty new rooms as an excuse to shut down student housing at the Beach for good. But Fairfield administrators insist such a move will not happen. “The Beach is here to stay,” Director of Residence Life Charlie Sousa said last week. “We are taking what we have on campus and making it better,” said Sousa. Dolan will be apartment style for juniors, the new dorms will be completed and Townhouses will be 4 and 6 students, he said. These changes, however, do not upset the number of students living off-campus. “The Beach is not something that’s ever going away,” said Sousa. Sousa said this rumor comes from Mirror articles written in the past with little evidence to back them up. The number of students living off-campus fluctuates each year because of numbers - not because administration is trying to stop students from living at the beach. In the class of 2011, only 75 students did not get released off campus through the off-campus lottery. The number of people living at the Beach “de-
pends on on-campus occupancy,” he said, noting there must be 100% occupancy on campus before seniors can be let off campus. Because Fairfield is a not-for-profit organization, there must be a balanced budget every year. “Each bed must be filled,” Sousa said, and this depends on three factors: incoming freshman class size, the number of study abroad students and transfer rates. These three factors determine the number of students let off-campus for the year. Contributed Photo Last year, he said, the off-campus lottery As new buildings go up, so do Stags concerns about off campus. took place in the fall semester. There were then two other releases later in the year. However, this year it will take place in February so the university is aware of the freshman class size. There will also be off-campus lottery and the decreased number of students only one lottery. living on the beach. The risk that students take year after year signing their In 2009, a writer in The Mirror wrote an article about lease, a legal document, and paying their deposits, which the end of the beach living and stated that the class of 2010 range anywhere from about $8,000 - $18,000 is something would be the last class to live at Fairfield Beach. Obviously that they are willing to do to ensure their pick for senior year. that is not true for the class of 2011 and, according to Sousa, “My roommates and I signed our lease first seit is false for years to come. mester of sophomore year. You have to do it early if you Fairfield students have been living on the beach since want to get a good house,” said Elizabeth Mainiero’11. the 60s. At that time, most of the juniors and seniors lived Emily Ryan’11 explained, “I didn’t think it was a there. In recent years, the University and the town of Fairbig deal at the time but my parents were extremely apfield have made an agreement that only a certain number of prehensive. I knew most of the upperclassmen got off students can live off campus. before us, so I wasn’t worried.” Incoming freshmen at Fairfield are required to sign a KC Boyd’12 said, “even with all of the rumors of contract that says they will live on campus all four years. The the decreasing number of students living on the Beach, only way to get out of this contract is through the off-campus I didn’t want to loose my house so my roommates and lottery or through going abroad. I signed our lease last year.” Boyd explained that most Rising seniors have the opportunity to apply for the of her friends did the same thing. “If we don’t get off off-campus lottery. Although tweaks are made to the lottery campus right away, we’ll figure it out,” she said. process every year, the lottery will be around for a long time. Caleigh Tansey’12, who plans to live at the beach Stags of all ages look forward to the exciting beach life next year, agreed. “We have one of the best houses on filled with senior traditions that are never forgotten. Evan the Beach so it’s worth the chance.” Ganley’14 said “I came to Fairfield excited to live on the This topic is not a new discussion for Fairfield. Year Beach senior year just like my older brother did.” Contributed Photo after year students write about, talk about or complain about the numerous rumors that come up about the
STATE RADIO LET IT GO
Clark University Master of Arts in Teaching ~for aspiring urban teachers~ The Jacob Hiatt Center for Urban Education, awarded the 2007 Richard Wisniewski Award by the Society for Education Professors for contributions to teacher education, is dedicated to preparing outstanding urban teachers. The Master of Arts in Teaching program is yearlong, and includes a full academic year internship in one of the Hiatt Center’s partner schools in Worcester, MA. We seek students who enjoy young people, are reflective, have strong academic backgrounds, collaborate well with others, and want to become great teachers for urban youth. The next full-time program year begins in late May 2011 and ends in May 2012. Applicants strong in mathematics or the sciences may qualify for a graduate stipend under the Noyce Scholarship program. For information contact the Jacob Hiatt Center for Urban Education at (508) 793-7222 or mshepard@clarku.edu. Visit our website at www.clarku.edu/departments/education. Applications for the 2011-2012 program year are due by January 15, 2011. Minorities and women are strongly encouraged to apply.
W/
LONDON SOULS
STATE RADIO LET IT GO R U F F
S H O D
R E C O R D S
/
R A D I O
FRI NOV 26
D ’ É T A T
Album available at www.stateradio.com
610 West 56th Street • New York, NY 10019 www.terminal5nyc.com
Bowerypresents.com | Ticketmaster.com | 800.745.3000