Campus living not so bad after all

By Annie Rose Ramos

Living on campus for one year has alerted me to the drawbacks of resident life, such as needing your ACCESS card to get into the building and a key for the bathroom, the poor array of food from the vending machines, and the eternally "out of order" dryers. In this light, living off campus does seem to offer quite a few benefits: the satisfaction of being independent, the nonexistence of CFs, the ability to have parties, and the joy of avoiding Benson food.

But for many of us, moving into the dorms was the first time we moved away from home, and the family life of the residence hall offers protection and closeness. I am aware that every living condition has benefits and drawbacks, but what are the sophomores who choose to live off campus this year missing?

Brittney Salvatore, a senior who presently lives off campus, was a community facilitator last year. "Some of my freshmen from last year couldn't even do their own laundry, much less pay bills!" explained Salvatore.

Perhaps it would be most suitable for "extroverts to live off campus because they will always meet people where ever they go," Salvatore said. However, living on campus holds advantages for more introverted students because of the greater opportunity to meet people.

Is sophomore year too early to make the off-campus transition? Does it separate second year students not only in proximity, but from a bond with students who live on the same floor of a residence hall? This relationship represents a unified understanding of the nuisances and difficulties of living on campus that coexists with the laughter, joy, and fun. Sure, on-campus life isn't perfect, but seeing floor-mate's faces throughout the day is comforting.

Regardless of how involved you are, the separation of living off campus strains students' relationships. Bobby Philbrook, a sophomore who lives off campus with five other sophomore friends, regrets moving. Sometimes, Philbrook confesses, he feels downright "lonely." This loneliness has resulted in frequent visits to his old dormitory, specifically to avoid sitting in his house "all alone." In Philbrook's opinion, moving off campus is most suitable for those students who only need "a few friends," because while the weekends come alive off-campus, the weekdays are quiet and empty.

Philbrook also remarks that there is "no way for the school to communicate with me," informing him about upcoming events on campus.. Furthermore, besides having to worry about homework deadlines, Bobby must also deal with making dinner and paying the bills.

Having friends living off-campus has resulted in various benefits. I'm always welcome at weekend parties or to just hang out and relax. But it isn't the same as having friends live across the hall from you. And I admit that I'm less inclined to exert the effort to visit friends off-campus than those right around me.

Last night, I could hear the fire alarm going off in Sobrato. As I watched the residents streaming out of the building from my room in Sanfilippo, I noticed that many were laughing and meeting up with friends in pajamas. I could not help feel like my fellow second year students living off campus were missing out in some way.

In the end, I'm happy some of my friends moved off-campus because it was the right decision for them, and it offers me refuge from the dorms when they become absolutely intolerable. It makes me excited about living off-campus next year, but content to experience it now as an uncommitted participant, knowing that what I've got really ain't all that bad.