The great dilemma that is the housing selection process

Housing is the talk of the town, and by town, I also mean Yik Yak. I am still fascinated that Yik Yak has taken over campus conversation the way that it has, but I am not mad about it in the slightest. So back to the point at hand: housing. The stress and pressure that comes with housing are felt campus-wide. With so few apartments and application-based quads, the majority of students are left with few and less-than-ideal options. I have seen and heard about underhanded dealing and pick switching, and all the while there has been a huge shift in housing philosophy by the administration. 

When I was a freshman, off-campus housing was considered a cardinal sin, and almost everyone who was associated with off-campus housing was rumored to be in the underground frats. Now, fast forward 4 years, and the housing administration is handing out off-campus housing like the rich part of town hands out king-size candy bars on Halloween. I fully understand why people want to live off-campus; living in a room where you have maybe 45-60 square feet of personal space seems like a test that should be rewarded, not cost upward of 10 grand a year. But having off-campus housing creates a divide in the Colby community. There is a tangible difference between living on campus and off-campus, creating two separate Colby communities. 

This, to me, is so sad, because I think a lot of Colby’s charm is that it is so centralized on top of the hill, and while we don’t have a lot going for us weather-wise or location-wise, having a cute little community that most people enjoy is a big selling point. I do not fault those who live off-campus – rather, I fault the administration. Even with the new Johnson Pond “Adaptive living spaces,” why aren’t those apartments? The last thing we need on this campus is more doubles; realistically no one wins from living in a double. The fact that the pond, another one of those iconic Colby places, is now getting defaced with buildings is an atrocity. 

Regardless of all of this, housing selection is still taking place soon, and it is stressful. Choose wisely who you are going to live with, and while not everyone will be happy with the turn out, be kind to those around you. I have seen housing make and break friendships, cause turmoil, and also bring together unlikely groups. All in all, it’s something that we have to deal with, so make the best of it and hopefully, it will all work out. 

~ Maryrita Curcio `22