Duke Student Government overwhelmingly approved a resolution calling for seniority in the housing lottery system at its weekly meeting last night.
Executive Vice President Drew Ensign e-mailed the passed resolution to Vice President for Student Affairs Larry Moneta, hoping to influence the administration's final version of the residential life plan, scheduled to be completed by the end of the week. Moneta has said he welcomes any student input.
DSG's resolution--passed 37 to two, with two abstentions--recommends that rising senior independents receive priority for singles, doubles and triples on West Campus. In the University's current proposal, seniors have priority only for singles, while rising juniors have first selection of doubles and triples.
"Based on tonight's vote, it's clear that students from all classes favor seniority in the lottery system," said senior Sean Young, DSG residential life liaison.
The resolution includes an amendment that calls for a guarantee that sophomores living in Trent Drive Hall receive housing on West Campus. The amendment limits the guarantee to juniors who will be on campus both semesters.
"I feel [sophomores in Trent] have received the shaft for one year, and should not have to suffer another year in Trent," DSG Vice President for Student Affairs Joshua Jean-Baptiste said. "I'm looking out for the little people."
The amendment was the only tightly contested issue and was approved 25 to 16. Young warned that he did not feel the administration would look favorably on the amendment, because it would single out members of one class and could lead to further calls for priority from other groups.
But other legislators said that because the overall resolution was merely a recommendation, the decision whether such a guarantee could logistically be made should be left to the administration.
The main resolution--proposed by legislator Mike Lynch, a sophomore--seeks to increase "inter-generational interaction by minimizing class conflict and allowing younger students to benefit from the experience of the senior class."
"The current policy tells seniors they are not welcome to participate in the new system," Lynch said.
Lynch and Young emphasized that the resolution did not imply simply that rising seniors deserved priority, but rather that the overall campus environment--and in particular, the diversity of West--would improve under such a system.
"If only single rooms are offered for seniors, only those with higher socio-economic status will be able to afford to live on West," Young said of the current plan. "We will have a divided senior class because only rich kids will live on West." Young also said seniors could provide quad-based services like tutoring and advising for underclassmen, an initiative the University is already planning.
DSG's resolution focuses on the 2002-2003 academic year. Young said if DSG's proposed system is implemented, he expects it to be carried over for the 2003-2004 year. Thereafter, all students who matriculated before the new residential life changes were made will have graduated.
Campus Council will consider a similar resolution at its meeting tonight at 7 p.m. in the Griffith Board Room in the Bryan Center.
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