This semester, Southern University has enrolled one of the largestfreshman classes in recent years, with more than 1,100 new students looking fora place to rest their heads this fall. Due to an unexpected amount of vacanciessome freshman female students were given the choice to live in Totty and Shadehalls.
”Every spring whenstudents fill out their housing request we book all dorms past capacity to compensatefor cancellations,” said Marilyn Hill, Director of Residential Housing.
Having to compete with The Palisades apartments for upperclassmenthat would normally fill the rooms, Southern has made steps to retain theirresident students including adding new carpet and paint to several of the roomson campus.
In March the Southern University Board of Supervisors passed a newpolicy that require all freshmen living outside of a 25 mile radius to stay oncampus. Some freshmen find this aninconvenience, but those who have had to deal with freshman housing in the pastsuggest that they should cherish their time in Jones and Boley Hall.
”I met people that willbe friends of mine for a long time,” said Theo Holt, a senior therapeuticrecreation major from Shreveport.
According to an occupancy report filled August 30, out of a capacityof 3,015 spaces, 2,855 were filled. Students who have not paid fees will be asked to vacate and those roomswill be filled by students on the waiting list. Some upperclassmen have foundtheir way into Jones since all male dorms have been filled to capacityaccording to the same
occupancy report.
Those freshmen who have been able to make it to an upperclassmenhall appreciate the
change of venue.
“I’m glad that I don’t have to live in a shoe box and my older suitemates have given me good advice,” said Kanshia Avinger, a freshman majoring inbusiness management from Lake Charles.
School officials say they place students’ welfare as their toppriorities.
“Studies show that students perform better when staying on campus,”Hill said.
To be added to the waiting list for housing or for any otherassistance call residential housing at 771-3590.
