A total of 135 sophomores who participated in the early-release lottery will be allowed to live off campus next year, Residence Life and Housing Services officials announced Thursday at Campus Council's general body meeting.
Students who participated in the lottery will be notified of their statuses today.
Some sophomores were released from their three-year housing contract because bed spaces will be limited on campus due to the Few Quadrangle renovations, which are set to begin in the summer.
"We release based on the amount we need to release in order to accommodate everyone on campus," said RLHS Program Coordinator Jen Frank.
A total of 185 sophomores applied for the off-campus lottery, said Joe Gonzalez, associate dean for residential life.
Other housing concerns dominated the rest of the meeting as council members discussed financing cable TV in commons rooms and paying for damages to common areas.
Currently, RLHS funds cable TV for 19 commons rooms on West Campus, none of which are in a selective living group section, said Vice President Kevin Thompson, a junior. Group members must pay for cable in their commons room.
Several council members said many students find it unfair that selective living group members have to take on the additional cost.
"People ask, 'If your room fees are essentially going to pay for cable in independent commons rooms, why can't it pay for selective living groups' commons rooms, as well?'" Thompson said.
Sophomore Divya Yerramilli, an at-large representative, said she did not see any "downside" to RLHS paying for cable TV in section.
"I don't see independents losing too much by selective living groups having cable," she said.
But she noted that such an arrangement might give an advantage to groups with fewer members whose TVs serve fewer people.
In addition to paying for cable, students in selective living groups must also pay for damages to their common areas, but RLHS pays for damages in common areas outside of sections, said Communications Coordinator Hope Lu, a junior.
Most council members said they did not see a need to change the current policy, adding that independent students feel less ownership over their common spaces than selective living group members.
Sophomore Anant Agarwalla, a Kilgo Quadrangle representative, said forcing independent students to pay for damages to their common areas would not encourage unity among neighbors.
Lu added that 80 percent of damages to common areas take place in section.
In other business:
The council discussed the mode of selection for representatives to the Residential Group Assessment Committee, but did not come to a consensus.
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