Dorm shortage puts squeeze on students

Monday, August 17, 1998

Dorm shortage puts squeeze on students

OVERCROWDING: Rather than convert study areas to rooms, housing
opts to create triples

By Payam Mahram

Daily Bruin Contributor

For the first time ever, the number of students housed in
triple-capacity dorm rooms this year will exceed double-capacity
rooms.

The rise in the number of triples resulted from an increase in
the number of students that require housing. About 3,160 students
will be placed in triples this year – an increase of about 1,400
students.

Each of the rooms in the on-campus high-rise dorms were made for
two students. Creating triples includes making adjustments such as
adding beds.

According to Housing Assignment Manager Frank Montana, this is a
78 percent increase in the number of triples since last year, when
roughly 1,770 students living on campus were placed in triples.

"[The number of triples] is the biggest increase we’ve had – or
at least that I’ve ever seen," Montana said.

The university expects to house approximately 6,200 students
this year, about 500 more than last year. Fifty-one percent of
students will be housed in triples this year.

The increase in triples will mainly affect the 3,850 freshmen
expected to live on campus this year, since 70 percent of them –
nearly 2,700 – will be placed in triples.

"These increases are only for on-campus housing … Obviously
the triples won’t be concentrated in any one hall," Montana
said.

Assignment of triples will be distributed among on-campus
housing facilities, including residence halls, residential suites
and Sunset Village.

Most of the students living in triples will be freshmen, because
of Housing Assignment Office policies. Freshmen, while guaranteed
housing, are not given a choice as to a specific facility or room.
Transfer students follow this same policy.

However, returning students are allowed to choose their facility
and room – so they are less likely to end up in a triple.

Pending the completion of DeNeve Plaza, the only alternative to
placing students in triples is placing them in study lounges, an
alternative that Housing had to turn to last year.

However, officials say that this year, such will not be the
case.

"After meeting with student government and housing officials,
the Housing Assignment Office concluded that students prefer
increasing triples over the lounge option," Montana said.

Last year, about 22 students were assigned to lounges, about six
to each lounge. Students from Hedrick, Rieber and Sproul Halls
complained about not having their lounges available for studying
and for activities.

Approximately 600 students are expected to be housed in DeNeve
Plaza by the 1999-2000 school year, said Michael Foraker, Director
of Housing Administration.

The facility is expected to be complete by the start of the
2000-2001 school year. Although delayed by problems resulting from
El Nino, the $71 million project is expected to ultimately house
1,250 students.

"DeNeve Plaza will include three and four-story housing
complexes. It comes with a state-of-the-art auditorium and a dining
room that will seat 900," Foraker said.

In an effort to connect the new facility to campus, Bruin Walk
will be extended to run through De Neve Plaza and reach Gayley
Ave.

"We’re trying to make it a part of campus by physically
connecting it and using similar styles of architecture," Foraker
said.

"We want to create a structured pathway that will not only
connect to campus but will take the place of other paths students
must take walking in from Westwood," he continued.

Even though the completion of DeNeve Plaza will help solve
overcrowding problems, its construction has irritated many
students, primarily at Dykstra Hall, which is adjacent to DeNeve
Plaza construction.

Dykstra residents have complained about noise disruption, loss
of basketball courts, occasional hot water shortages and the loss
of their commons, which contained the hall’s dining facility.

"It was annoying during rain season especially," said Dykstra
Residents Association Internal Vice President Manuel Frausto.
"There was no dining hall and we often had to walk in the rain to
other dining facilities in nearby residence halls."

CHARLES KUO

This model shows how Dykstra Hall will look after the
construction is finished. The new facilities are supposed to help
alleviate UCLA’s growing problem with overcrowding in residence
halls.