Some rooms too close for comfort

by Billy Findley, Triangle Staff Writer

Three-person rooms are something students will have to come to terms with this semester and, more than likely, the next. Until more room is made available, roommates will have to embrace a little less elbow room and a lot more closeness.According to Dean of Students Bruce Morgan, when the school does not have the funds to construct another residence hall, three-person rooms are an unfortunate necessity.

Freshman Sonja Meberg studies in her room on Huston 4th.
Freshman Sonja Meberg studies in her room on Huston 4th.

“We would certainly like to eliminate them,” Morgan said.

This year marks the second year triple rooms have been in effect at Bryan. However, a myriad of opinions exist regarding the three-to-a-room concept, especially when it comes to the men’s experience with three-person rooms and the women’s experience.

According to Long Residence Director Matt Williams, the triple rooms have turned out fine for the men.

“They are a necessary evil that has worked out better than I thought it would,” Williams said.

A lot of the men are returning students who know each other already and do not mind dealing with less space, especially for a discount on the room fee, he said.

There are 72 male students in triple rooms this semester. Fifty-one of them live in Long, and according to Williams, there has not been much controversy at all among them. Williams also thinks the Bryan staff did well in making adjustments to room furniture (making desks, beds and shelves moveable), thus making rooms designed for only two students more cohesive for three.

Adjustable furniture, lower room fees, little controversy among roommates – it would appear the three person rooms are a desirable means to an end until more housing is made available to students.

However, according Huston Residence Director Amanda Allquist, the sooner housing adjustments can be made, the better. Her experience in dealing with three-person rooms has been anything but desirable.

Many of the girls placed in three person rooms this semester were freshmen, which according to Allquist is, “just asking for trouble.” She went on to say some of girls in triple rooms do not even think the thousand-dollar reduction on the fee is worth the frustration of living with three people in a room designed for two. This semester, of the 50 triple rooms in Huston, 38 experienced a roommate alteration from last semester.

According to Allquist, the primary reason most girls choose triple rooms is for the discount they will receive. Generally, the rooms that work best are the ones with returning students, not just freshmen.

Allquist pointed out that most controversy arises when rooms are just freshmen. She believes there should be a way more upperclassmen are placed in three person rooms; however, if given the option, Allquist said she would like to see the three-person rooms eradicated all together.

Senior Residence Assistant Lauren Simpson, who has served on floors with double rooms and triple rooms, has also found three-person stressful. She says her experience on a hall with three girls per room has been strikingly different than the experience she had with the double room hall. According to Simpson, “girls simply just need their space.”

Morgan believes that while space certainly is one of the disadvantages of being in a three-person room, having most of the students living on campus contributes to the community. Also, he believes the room discount, something not all schools are willing to offer their students, is beneficial as well.

The owner of some land behind Dr. Stephen Livesay’s house is considering the

possibility of construction, possibly the construction of apartments on his property.

Though it is too early to speculate whether or not the owner will do this, as well as if

Bryan College staff will make use of apartments in the area, one thing is for sure, some staff would welcome alternatives.