Creating a sense of community
By Sarah Winter
March 11, 2007 10:01 p.m.
Stepping into the main lounge of the co-operative housing association in Westwood, one can expect to hear snippets of conversation in foreign languages and see signs advertising anything from free guitar lessons to the benefits of recycling.
A popular option for foreign exchange students, the co-operative housing association, commonly referred to as the “co-op,” is home to students from all over the world ““ which some residents say adds to the experience of living there.
Carlos Mendiola, a third-year political science and history student who lives in the co-op, said his frequent interactions with foreign exchange students has opened his eyes to different perspectives of the United States.
“You get this new perspective from people who see the U.S. differently by interacting with people from all over,” he said.
Some residents said they were initially attracted to the co-op unit because of the relatively low cost of living there.
For the 2006-2007 school year, the co-op rates ranged from $1,212 to $1,560 per quarter, depending on which building and room were chosen. These costs include 19 meals per week, according to the co-op Web site.
But after living there for awhile, some residents said the co-op is much more than a cheap place to live.
What they have found is a unique place where students live and work together to maintain their building and put food on the table, while keeping the rent low.
Residents are required to work one four-hour shift every week, which could include preparing a meal for all 415 residents or performing routine maintenance on one of the three buildings.
Arusha Weerasinghe, executive director of the co-op, said the concept of co-operative living is what keeps the cost of living low.
“It’s about people pooling resources: time, energy, efforts,” he said. “By students coming together and contributing their time and efforts, we don’t have to hire many people from outside” to keep the place running.
But some said they are not completely happy with the quality of the food and upkeep at the co-op.
“If you’re really concerned about what you eat and everything being really clean, … you probably don’t want to live here,” Mendiola said.
In terms of the living situation, he said residents should be willing to accept what they’re provided, which might not necessarily be luxury.
“The environment doesn’t allow you to get really picky about what you have,” he said.
But Mendiola said the principle behind co-operative living helps form a sense of community among residents, and residents get out what they put into it.
“It is in everyone’s interest to put work into maintaining the co-op, and people here are really interested in not wasting energy, food and other resources,” he said.
Because the co-op is essentially run by residents ““ with a student board of directors and members committee serving as the governing bodies ““ Weerasinghe said students have more control over their living situation in the co-op than they would have in the dorms.
“The student board of directors makes the policy decisions … and these can be overturned by a house vote,” he said. Residents are welcome to attend any of the house meetings to voice concerns or vote on co-op policies.
Christine Ernst is from Sydney, Australia, and is studying political science at UCLA for two quarters. She said the social aspect of the co-op was perfect for her because she did not know anyone when she arrived in Los Angeles a few months ago.
“Everyone’s out to make friends at the co-op, because many people don’t have an established connection in L.A. already,” she said. “Everyone’s willing to push the boundaries socially.”
