Crowded dorms give RAs temporary roommates

The university's residence halls were overbooked again this year and the system's residents assistants had to pay the price with their privacy.

"This has gone on for a number of years on this campus, this is something we intentionally do," said Jim Van Arsdel, director of residence life.

The university books about 100 too many students into the halls to make up for students who don't show up, Van Arsdel said. This year, only 34 students pulled out, he said.

Resident assistants, who ordinarily live alone, are given temporary roommates to get more students into the halls initially.

"Students are in a double room that was built as a double room," Van Arsdel said. "The alternative is that you are placed in lounges with six or seven other students."

Not all the resident assistants are pleased with this arrangement, Van Arsdel said.

"There is a need for them to have a single room and we support that entirely," said Van Arsdel.

Laura DeMuro, resident assistant in Kaibab-Huachuca Residence Hall, didn't mind having to share her room.

"It was something that we knew was going to happen," said DeMuro. "It's the most frustrating for the person who has to live with us because they don't have a chance to get settled. No one wants to live with an RA."

DeMuro also said that most of the people effected by these arrangements are freshmen.

"The freshmen are new to the university and this doesn't allow them to get settled," said DeMuro.

Van Arsdel said there has never been an instance in which a student who was placed in temporary housing has been unable to move into a permanent room.

"A room always becomes available, the question is how quickly," said Van Arsdel.

The residence halls provide housing for up to 4,800 students every year.

Everitt said there are about 4,650 students living in residence halls.

The only halls in which the resident assistants were not given roommates this year were Coronado, Babcock, Gila, Yuma and part of Arizona/Sonora.