by Araceli Esparza
Features Editor
With the conclusion of the academic year several months away, the Office of Housing and Residential Life has implemented a Housing “Monopoly” for its residence hall room assignment process.
Those students requesting to live on campus for the next school year will participate in “Monopoly,” “a process whereby students reserve their current room for the following academic year, or try for a new space.”
Joel Perez, housing services coordinator, said that the idea for the process was adapted from several area schools, including Azusa Pacific University (APU). School systems such as APU function with a large on-campus population, and “Monopoly” is successful for them.
“The new process is probably the fairest way for students to get their rooms,” said Perez.
Last year, “students had some concerns with the way the process was run,” he said.
Some students complained that last year’s process was unfair because several students received a preferred room without reserving it directly. They had acquaintances in Housing and therefore had an advantage over other students.
“If we’re going to be fair in the way we use this process, we need to cut out the dishonesty,” Perez said.
The manner in which the new process will function is similar to that of the University’s pre-registration process-with a “game” included.
In order to play, students must be equipped with a “Terms and Condition Occupancy Summary Sheet,” document of proof of pre-registration for the 1998 fall semester, a raffle ticket and receipt for the $25 administration fee.
As in any game, students must abide by the rules.
Those who do not receive a raffle ticket and other documentation may do so through Housing. From this point, the game begins, with first priority given to those residents who wish to stay in the room in which they currently live.
Through the “free parking” area of the monopoly, these students must make their room reservations April 21 between 8:30 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Any rooms not designated by the required deadline will be entered into a lottery.
In the “chance lottery,” raffle tickets will be drawn by a Housing official, and results will be posted in the office window.
“There will be a designated 10 to 15-minute increments for each raffle ticket number. Students must come by some time in the day to see where their raffle ticket number corresponds, and they show up at that time,” said Perez.
In order, students with the corresponding ticket will reserve their preferred rooms. If a student is unable to make the designated time, he or she may sign a proxy form to allow a friend to make the reservation in their place.
Current seniors have first advantage in the “lottery,” as they make reservations from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 22. Current juniors, sophomores and freshmen follow, respectively in that order, the remainder of the week through Monday, April 27.
Students are then given a “Title Deed,” which serves as the receipt for the property reserved in the 1998 Housing “Monopoly.”
Like the pre-registration process, if a student cannot be present on the designated date he or she may go to the office afterward.
However, if a student does not reserve a room by April 27, 4:30 p.m., he or she may reserve a room after new students have done so.
“It’s simply not fair to put the new students last. Those who do not have room assignments by the deadline will have to wait until all other rooms have been assigned,” said Perez.
Perez feels that “it’s different…it’s a change.”
“Anytime you try to change, some people don’t like it. But I think it will be fun,” he said.
Rachel Eldredge, a freshman Housing assistant, has optimistic expectations for the new process.
“The Monopoly will be like a game-the students are the players and their participation earns them their ticket,” said Eldredge. “I think it will be fun and definitely more fair.”
Journalism operations manager at the University of La Verne. Production manager and business manager of the Campus Times.