Meggie Lund was initially disappointed to find cockroaches in her dorm on East Campus. But three years later, she lives comfortably in the cockroach-free Oz House thanks to right of return.
According to Housing, Dining and Residence Life, right of return allows rising juniors and seniors to stay in their same dorm as the previous year. They are not guaranteed the same room, but students who exercise the right of return are allowed to pick their room before new members.
The Chronicle obtained data from Joe Gonzalez, dean for residential life, regarding how many students have exercised their right of return during the past four years. Although the percentage of students using right of return has fluctuated lately, that number has risen dramatically since 2013.
In 2013, 57 percent of students used right of return, compared to 78 percent during the 2016 room selection process. As might be expected, each dorm has its unique pros and cons, explained Lund, now a senior.
Lund said that she and her friends decided to stay in Keohane quadrangle primarily due to the amenities after renovations. Wannamaker and Edens have both been renovated in the past two years, and renovations to Crowell quadrangle are scheduled for this summer.
“It's a good location, and the dorm has nicer amenities,” Lund said. “We have no cockroaches. We have the suite set-up, so that was a big thing. If you stayed through your junior or senior year, you can get a suite with your friends. It's just a generally nice, pretty upgraded dorm.”
There is a slight difference between rising juniors and seniors in the percentage of students who exercised their right to return. During the 2016 room selection process, for example, 81 percent of rising seniors used it compared to 76 percent of rising juniors. The numbers are similar in prior years.
Senior Connor Harris, who has been living in Stark Tower on Wannamaker quadrangle for three years, said he was hesitant to return to Wannamaker for his junior year. He and his friends ultimately decided to stay for the opportunity to get a better room, however. Harris also said he liked the renovations last summer, which upgraded two common rooms and added a meditation room.
Both Lund and Harris said they returned mainly because of amenities, not because of the sense of community they felt in their independent houses.
“I definitely had [community] freshmen year. We had no AC, so doors are always open, you were in the common room,” Harris said. “Wannamaker didn't really have that. It was one of the things that I didn't really get upset about because that's the case for most dorms if you're not in some sort of special living group. I just kind of put up with it. It would be nice if we had it, but I have enough friend groups that I can get by.”
Lund said that although there was a sense of community in Oz House, it also was not as prevalent as it was in her first year.
“There's always a crowd for games on television, but there's not a super strong knit sense of community,” Lund said. “But I'm comparing this back to freshmen year, when you knew everyone by name in your dorm, for the most part.”
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.
Class of 2019
Editor-in-chief 2017-18,
Local and national news department head 2016-17
Born in Hyderabad, India, Likhitha Butchireddygari moved to Baltimore at a young age. She is pursuing a Program II major entitled "Digital Democracy and Data" about the future of the American democracy.