Vol. 41, issue 1
v' '
Wednesday, September 11,2002
Methodist College, Fayetteville, NC
MC Suffers from Housing Problem
Cape Fear Commons Phase II
Photo by Robin Warrington
ByElizabethTankersley
Staff Writer
After a much needed summer
break many juniors and seniors
attending Methodist College returned
this fall to fiijd that they had nowhere
to stay. As everyone was later
informed tliere were some sligtit
delays in the constmction of ihe
Cape Fear Commons Phase II
apartments.
Students that are supposed to
be residing in these apartments have
been informed that the "updated'
move in date will be during the
weekend of September 14'*' for the
Commons D section. I'his of course
is excellent news for those of you
living with two other people in a suite
style room. It is not such great news
for those scheduled to live in sections
E and F of the Commons, because
these sections are rumored to be
finished in yet a few more weeks.
Tlie delays are contributed in
part to the construction company’s
rapid pace over the summer creating
a lack in necessary supplies to finish
the Commons. According to Rob
Foreman, Director of Housing and
Residence Life, and Ashley James,
Assistant Director of Housing and
Residence Life, during the latter part
of July construction was in fact aliead
of schedule, but due to this fact the
constmction company ran short of
many materials needed to finish the
buildings interior, such as sheet rock.
Construction was furtlier delayed
because of malfunctioning sprinkler
systems in the building.
Another cause for the current
lack of housing on Methodist
College's campus is that admissions
for residential students are at an all
time high. It is a standard practice
for most colleges to “overbook” the
amount of available on site housing
due 10 the fact that there is usually a
fair potential to lose some students
by the last day to drop and add
classes.
Tliis year however, that number
did not quite make enough space for
the number of already displaced
students to be accommodated
comfortably. Also contributing to the
large residential population was the
number of reairning students, the
influx of new students, and the large
majority of recently deposited
students (i.e. people who wait until
the last minute to pay their housing
fees).
The consequences of this minor
catastrophe have caused some rather
uncomfortable living situations for
students. There are examples of
three people in two person suites,
scheduled single rooms have added
guests, and the majority of Residence
Advisors are now sharing their rooms
as well. These conditions
are making for a dis-
grunded student body on
campus, while still main
taining the campus housing
policy. The policy is to
keep eveiyone housed and
taken care of while residing
at Methodist College.
What students may
not be aware of is the fact
that all students, less the
small portion that resei'ved
rooms and paid fees late,
are being compensated for the
trouble. Some are being refunded a
portion of their board ch;u"ges.
All Residence Advisors are
receiving a five-dollar per day
cover charge for their added
guests, which they will be paid
upon the move out date of said
guest in a lump sum.
Students staying in triple
rooms are also receiving benefits
in the form of a two-thirds board
ing charge. Tliat is each member
in the room will only be charged
two-thirds of the standard resi
dence hall fee. All of these
students were also given the
option of a school provided
storage facility, just off campus, to
put their personal belongings in
due to a lack of space in the resi
dence hall rcKims, This option has
not been used as readily as it was
made available tlius far. Only one
student has stored anything in the
school supplied storage facility'.
Students that were scheduled to
be living in the Commons are also
going to be refunded the difference
for the number of days tliey were
displaced in ;uiother residence hall.
These students also received a 14
meal per week plan from the school
at no cost. --
Those students who chose to
move off campus due to the lack of
housing are going to be refunded for
the board they paid in advance.
Only 9 students actually decided that
the living conditions were intolerable
for the short construction delay.
These students were not given any of
the meal privileges the other Com
mons’ residents received, but they
are able to use the storage space
currently provided by the school if
tliey w'ish.
it should be noted diat tlie
college has not broken any laws, and
has not violated building or fire codes
with the current housing situation.
This is an aty'pical situation that
Methodist College is in. There is an
extremely large sUident body that
must have shelter during a housing
cmnch. and the administration is
trying to be accommodating to the
masses to the best of their abilities.
Not an easy task when there is an
extremely displeased student body
being shuffled into ratlier small rooms
with a lot of other people.
joy Of CA/npus mvsjA'S
Photo by Robin Warrington