Overcrowding forces students to sleep in study lounges

When Natalie Krosch received an e-mail two weeks ago informing her she'd be sleeping in a Miller Hall study lounge, she was shocked.

"I paid my money to get a room," Krosch said. "I should be in a room."

She is keeping her suitcase and bags at the foot of her bunk bed, clustered together on the floor. "I'm not unpacking," she said. "I was only supposed to be here for a few days."

Students without dorms are staying in study lounges on each floor of Aber Hall, Jesse Hall, Knowles Hall and Miller Hall. On Friday, President George Dennison said between 170 and 200 students are living in study lounges.

New Residence Life Director Sandy Schoonover said all students in interim housing (temporary housing for those not in a dorm) applied after the Feb. 1 deadline. These students are given the option to live off-campus if they don't want to wait for a dorm to become available.

 Overflow is higher this year than in the past, which Schoonover said is due to an increase in enrollment. She said she experienced this situation at the University of Oregon and considers herself well-  prepared.

Those in interim housing have mixed feelings on their situation.

Krosch said her four roommates seem "pretty cool," from what she's seen of them. Sunday was her first night sleeping in the lounge. She said she didn't want to spend any more time in the room than was absolutely necessary. Instead of sleeping in her bunk, she opted to spend the night with a friend in a different building, though she said it wouldn't become a regular habit.

Krosch is less than thrilled and feels cheated. Her roommates Alex Black and Kelly Jo Elser don't mind the crowding. Elser said it's a good chance to meet people. Black says her biggest problem is storage.

The lounges don't have closets so students are provided a substitute. The cardboard closet is about three feet tall and is fitted with a metal bar across the top so students can hang clothes.

Black is using her box, and also has a row of crates full of clothes, belts and various other essentials lined up against the wall. Black begrudges the box situation because of the fee. They are provided at no extra cost, but if damaged, students are charged $80.

"I'm not damaging my box," Black said. She nodded toward three black stars crudely scribbled onto the side of the box. "My mom already wrote that down."

She and some of the other girls hung posters on the walls and windows, but Krosch remains firm in her decision to keep everything in one spot. She, like many others in her situation, has been told student lounge residence is temporary and will last a week or two.

A few buildings away in Knowles Hall, Alexa Holliday is also living in a lounge. She said she doesn't mind living there, adding she signed up too late for a dorm. She said she's happy she was assigned anywhere at all. She, like Black, is disappointed with the amount of storage space. She said they have the option to store things in the basement, but she prefers keeping everything together.

Holliday and her roommates were focused on how to divide the picnic table near the wall so that everyone gets a spot. She's grateful for the space and said she's not upset, just inconvenienced.

Available rooms will be assigned to students based on the date they applied for housing, though Schoonover said she doesn't know how long that will take. She said she hasn't had a chance to get a reliable time estimate on how long interim housing will last.

alyssa.rabil@umontana.edu