Since the Office of Residence Life and Housing Services announced two weeks ago it would allow juniors to enter a lottery for the privilege of living off campus next semester, students have both welcomed the opportunity and voiced their disapproval of the current state of residential life on campus.
The lottery is a result of RLHS's realization that there will be an inevitable increase in demand for student housing in the spring, as the students returning to campus from abroad will most likely outnumber those leaving for study abroad programs, taking leaves of absence, withdrawing from the University or graduating early.
Those students who wish to enter the lottery must submit a Housing Release Request form by Oct. 31. Those who are released from their Housing Licenses will be notified Nov. 10.
"I think [the lottery] was necessary," said junior Lauren Lind, who does not currently plan to enter the lottery herself. "Either the juniors who are coming back will be off campus, or the people that are here will be off campus. Either way, someone's going to be off campus. It's unfortunate the three-year [housing requirement] didn't work."
All undergraduates must live on campus for at least three years, according to RLHS policy. While officials say the requirement will help foster a campus community, many students consider it an imposition.
"[The lottery] undermines the requirement, but I thought the requirement was stupid anyway, so I think it's good they're giving juniors the opportunity to live off campus," sophomore Erin Penner said.
While many students were interested in the possibility of living off campus before their senior year, far more were anxious to express their frustration with the three year policy and its effect on residential life at Duke.
"The fact that more students want to live off campus than can is indicative of the students disapproval for the administration's attempt to micromanage Duke students' social and personal lives," senior Eric Dixon said. "Living off-campus junior year was one of the best experiences I had at Duke, and the fact that they are restricting it is horrible."
While some students paint the administration as unnecessarily interfering in student life, others blame the three-year requirement on the University's financial concerns.
"Not letting students live off campus shows me that they are more interested in saving money than giving what students want," junior Kori Jones said.
Other students said that because they did not know how the lottery would relate to the housing requirement, they were not sure how they felt about the new process.
"Would they waive the requirement, or would they then have to live on campus for a semester senior year?" asked Adam Zuckerman, a sophomore, who is not eligible for the lottery but was nonetheless confused.
And after all this discussion, many students will choose not to take advantage of the lottery, either because of personal preferences or concerns about the difficulty of moving mid-year.
"I prefer to live on campus," sophomore James Ferguson said. "I feel like I can live off-campus for 50 or 60 years after I graduate."
Junior Kat Krugmlemko also said she would not be applying for the lottery. In addition to the fact that she is very satisfied with her current room, she voiced concerns about the practical side of such an adjustment.
"It will be hard to find housing because it's too late--two months until you have to move in," she said. "If anything, you'll have to share an apartment with a senior who is graduating early."
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