By Christina Galdi
KU students received an email about a public discussion that would take place in the Dixon conference room on March 24, at 7 p.m. The topic of this presentation was a possible two-year on-campus housing requirement.
According to the email, this requirement could begin as early as the Fall 2017 semester.
Many students of this university are divided on whether or not this is a smart move for KU. A student’s freshman year is centered around their dorm- who they meet, how they decorate their room, and whether or not they can get away with having bed-risers and Christmas lights. However, after the first-year charm wears off, many students choose to move off campus.
A mandatory two-year on-campus plan is great for some aspects of this campus. Living on campus provides students with structure, programs and activities within the hall and a sense of community and KU pride. It’s full of conveniences such as a dining hall in walking distance, and in-hall laundry. It is also a guaranteed place to live.
Finding an off-campus apartment can sometimes be really challenging if you don’t know how to start the process. However, finding an on-campus room is quite simple when using MyHousing.
Bryce Johle, a senior here at KU, thinks that living on campus is much more appealing. Johle said, “Honestly, it is just more convenient for me. I am surrounded by people all the time, and it’s nice to feel connected to a community.”
This could be a good reason for KU implementing a two-year housing policy. Students are able to interact within the halls and with each other, and they will feel like they belong to a community.
There are people who also believe that making people live on campus after their freshman year will actually hurt the Housing Department and KU itself. Students want the choice to decide where they should live.
KU student, Pam Graff, believes that she has more freedom living off campus. “I really wanted the freedom that an off-campus apartment gives you. I was tired of fire drills and signing people in. I have more freedom when I’m off campus.”
The rules that are enforced in residence halls are always a topic of concern, and for most students, a topic of annoyance. Students appear to be growing more and more annoyed with the visitation policy (signing in guests before midnight) and the dry campus policy KU has.
Living off campus gives students the freedom and choice to drink or not, and they have control over who they want in their apartment and when.
This policy could also hurt KU because it has the potential to turn a lot of prospective students away. Some students feel that this rigid policy will keep people from wanting to attend KU.
David Willis, a KU student and employee of an off-campus living area, also feels this way. He said, “I think that if people were told they have to live on campus for two years they would really reconsider coming here. People come to college wanting freedom and to make their own choices. I think that choice should lie with the students.”
While a two-year housing policy may help build a stronger on-campus community and make finding a place to live easier on KU students, it has the potential to strip students of the freedom they crave when going off to college.
College is a place to learn and grow as an individual while also learning how to live on your own. Hopefully KU can find that happy balance for its students and continue to make this campus feel like home.
