You know what really grinds my gears? Housing. And not just any housing, but particulary all the poor souls like me who got stuck in an economy quad in the decrepit excuse for a residence building: Smith Hall.
As if living in complete filth my first year at college wasn’t bad enough, next year isn’t shaping up to be much better. My lottery number is 2,887 out of 3,035. Wonderful. That’s the equivalent of moving from Smith to Melvin.
My proposal is simple. It makes sense that all residents of Smith Hall along with all the other freshmen who got stuck in less than adequate housing this year (YMCA, White Hall – I feel your pain, stay strong) deserve decent lottery numbers.
Now I’m not talking about leaving out the middlers, juniors and seniors who naturally start off with the best lottery numbers of the bunch. I’m sure most of them have paid their dues, and deservedly they should be awarded low numbers. I’m totally for the social hierarchy of life.
But there’s other things that must be considered other than simply what grade you fall into. Where you live as a freshmen should be factored into the housing equation.
Our urinal in the men’s room has been our own personal waterfall since we moved in last September. Mice have pretty much been allowed to live side-by-side with us, running rampant around our room, eating our Pringles and taking dumps on our homework. On top of all that, our building has been sinking into the ground for years.
Why should residents of 319 Huntington get higher lottery numbers? Was having their own bathroom and kitchen really that hard on them this year?
On all housing forms they should ask where you lived and if the answer was either Smith, White or the YMCA, you automatically receive a better number. This building drives us so crazy we had someone strangle his roommate over video games.
I guess the bright side of the situation is for the future Smith Hall residents. If the building sinks into the ground at this pace, next year they will have most of the work done to connect the tunnels to the freshman quad and Hemenway Street.
Obviously I am biased on the side of Smith Hall but I do have friends in White Hall – which makes my dorm look like a palace. I believe it’s funny when they complain about their elevator not working. We don’t even have an elevator (thank God for a first floor room assignment).
Yet the unlucky few who must dwell in the YMCA probably have it worse than either Smith or White.
I guess the whole thought process of the housing department is that people who have suffered in Smith and White or the YMCA will live anywhere next year because it will be such an improvement. I would be moving off campus if it wasn’t for the fact of the free cable with HBO, on top of the free Internet we will receive next year.
Now that I am this far into this rant, I can feel my lottery number dropping down even farther. Oh well I guess that’s the difference between the top floor and the first floor.
In terms of living on campus, there are plenty of things to complain about, but let’s remember some of the good things. It’s legendary that BU has the strictest policy for signing in guests. I can also bet they don’t feel the same sort of excitement that Hemenway Street brings us. Where else can you spot a woman flashing her breasts only to find out she is really a 32-year-old male undergoing hormone therapy?
Stay classy, Northeastern.
– Tim Van Nostrand is a freshman criminal justice major.
