Live at 6 | Student Responses To Housing Lottery

By Greg Bradbury – Syracuse, N.Y. (CitrusTV) – The Syracuse University housing selection process for next year is nearly complete. The process underwent changes this year to create a better experience for students.

The changes included dividing students into two different tracks: the orange tack or the blue track. The orange track is made for students who have already fulfilled their two year housing requirement, while the blue track is made for those who have not. Another change that was incorporated was picking your roommate or roommates first and then your pair or group would be given a selection time.

Eileen Simmons, the Director of Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services, said the change was put in place to prioritize living with who you wanted to live with instead of living with someone who had a good selection number.

“So if you got a 5000 you were golden, but if you got an 8000 number, no one wanted to live with you,”  Simmons said. “So we decided they shouldn’t pick roommates based on numbers.”

Most students in the blue track aren’t familiar with the system prior to the changes, but think that the new system has worked well.

“For me personally, I know a lot of people would say otherwise, but I got lucky so I am happy with it,” said Scott Mueller. Mueller got the triple he wanted in Watson Hall when it came to room selection time.

However, some did not get the chance to even pick a room that they wanted. Aidan Hogan had a quad selection time around 4 p.m.

“Actually nothing was available at that time like when we got our selection time we had no choices,” he said. “We got an email out at like 1:50 or something that the quads were done so we had no shot.”

Hogan was forced to split his quad group up into two doubles. He got luckier with his double selection time and was happy with that part.

With most students, the idea of avoiding South Campus was consistent.

“South Campus apartments are nice, like if they were on main campus or just a little bit closer I would love it, but I just don’t want to take the bus to and from class you know.” said Mueller “That was just a no from me.”

Simmons said that there are about 2,000 beds on South Campus, so unfortunately someone is going to have to live there.

The process is not perfect, but the housing services are continuing to improve the system. Simmons said she has been listening to feedback from students and plans to make changes to the system.

One of these changes includes being able to see what rooms are available as the selection rounds go on. She said this would eliminate the stress of not knowing what is available when a groups selection time comes.

This is now the time where the Office of Housing, Meal Plan, and I.D. Card Services is the busiest. Simmons discussed the phone calls she receives from students and parents about their housing selection.

When people are not happy with their room the office often try to tell them how to adapt to the new rooming situation.

As of right now, there are no plans in place to turn the Sheraton into a full dorm, to implement a three-year housing requirement, or to move South Campus housing to Main.