Wednesday, August 22, 2001
Campus halls adjust for male housing shortage
By Piper Huddleston
staff reporter

Several male freshmen have faced housing dilemmas in their first days at the university.

Seventy men were housed at a local hotel for as long as one week while they waited for space to become available either in fraternity houses or residence hall lounges.

Dean of Admissions Ray Brown said the housing shortage is due to a 40 percent increase in freshman male enrollment, the largest in five years.

In accordance with the male to female ratio, TCU is equipped to house more women than men, said Assistant Director of Residence Life Karen Baker. She also said there were fewer male cancellations this semester.

“There are more continuing students who want to live on campus and they have first priority,” Baker said. “That causes a housing shortage for freshmen.”

She said the university anticipated problems with male housing and tried to inform students of the situation early. In preparation, the department made on-campus housing unavailable to transfer students, readmitted students or male freshmen living in Tarrant County admitted after May 1.

TCU also reserved 70 rooms at the Hampton Inn on Bryant Irvin Road to house male students until space on campus become available. Baker said the university provided those students a security officer and transportation to and from campus.

Residential Services Director Roger Fisher said all students staying at the hotel were placed on campus Saturday and Sunday.

He also said 12 men have been placed in the Delta Tau Delta house, six in the Phi Delta Theta house and four in the Kappa Sigma house.

Mark Lettieri, a freshman advertising/public relations major, was placed in a lounge in Clark Hall temporarily and moved into the Kappa Sigma fraternity house Monday.

“At first I was disappointed because I thought living in a fraternity house would be noisy and there would be a lot of partying, but the guys I have met have been really nice and respectful,” Lettieri said. “I do wish that I lived on main campus because it is more convenient.”

Sophomore Kappa Sigma member Jonathan Smith said the housing situation gives his fraternity an opportunity to help TCU.

“This is something we have never done before, but we are willing to try to help TCU so they can alleviate the housing problem,” Smith said.

Fisher said 22 men are living in lounges and 17 male resident assistants have roommates.

Moncrief Hall resident assistant Marla Prevost said many things were done to make lounges comfortable for students.

“The lounges where students are living have been transformed into rooms,” Prevost said. “There are two beds, dressers and desks in the rooms. Since there are no closets, clothes racks are provided.”

He also said Internet, telephone and cable access will be installed in lounges not already equipped with those lines.

Baker said the top priorities of Residential Services is to take students out of lounges as soon as rooms open up and give resident assistants single rooms.

Piper Huddleston
kpiperh@aol.com

The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001