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Res. Life temporarily finds beds for students

Randy Metcalf Arizona Summer Wildcat The new all-women's dorm, Parker Hall, is opening this year in the building that formerly housed Alpha Chi Omega sorority. Parker Hall will be home to 50 women, mostly freshmen.

After a string of failed plans to temporarily increase on-campus housing, UA Residence Life has transformed a former sorority house into an all-female dormitory and rented rooms from a campus-area apartment complex.

The Parker House, formerly occupied by the Alpha Chi Omega sorority, opened Thursday to 50 female University of Arizona students. The sorority apparently left the house because of financial trouble.

The UA also leased space for 80 students in Palm Shadows Apartments, 1815 E. Speedway Blvd.

Residence Life Director James Van Arsdel has struggled throughout the past year to find room for incoming students.

"The university recognizes the need for additional student housing. We are doing everything within reason to achieve this," Van Arsdel said.

UA President Peter Likins killed a plan in June to convert Casa Feliz Apartments, 1201 E. Drachman St., into a residence hall because of neighborhood concerns that the university had overstepped its boundaries.

In February, Van Arsdel scrapped a lottery system - which may have left 200 returning students without rooms - after he received student and parent criticism of the plan.

Located on the northwest corner of North Martin and East First streets, the Parker House was designed with several study rooms to assist in academics.

Hall director Kurt Doan and Angela Gray, a graduate community assistant, said they hope to create a strong sense of family for the women living in the Parker House.

"We're looking forward to a really solid community," Doan said.

Students currently living in the house also said they want a close living environment.

"It feels like a second home with another family. It has basically everything you need," said Lahm-Shing Wu, a pre-pharmacy freshman.

Accommodations include a living room with a fireplace and grand piano, and most residents said they do not mind living in an all-female facility.

"Moving into an all-female dorm like Parker House is a great experience because it's a comfortable environment, and having less people brings us close like a family," said pre-pharmacy freshman Young Mi Yoon.

While the newly converted house is near greek establishments, Doan said response from both the university and nearby fraternities has been positive.

"The nearby fraternities have actually welcomed us personally. We don't see it as a problem at all," Doan said.

Van Arsdel also said that another UA dormitory on greek row, Pima Hall, 1340 E. First St., has done well.

"Pima House is in the midst of a large greek community and is extremely popular," he said. "I doubt the proximity will change (residents') behavior."

Parker House will also incorporate weekly chapter meetings for the current members of Alpha Chi Omega. Last week, the sorority held rush activities while new, non-greek residents were moving into their rooms.

In addition to the Parker House transformation, Residence Life will accommodate incoming students in 37 rooms in Palm Shadows Apartments, said Doan, who also serves as hall director for the apartment rooms.

Mike Elliott, manager of the apartment complex, said the incoming freshmen have been pleased with the temporary dorm rooms.

The complex is occupied by mostly students, and has about a 75 percent turnover rate every year, making the transition smooth for the residents.

The Palm Shadows complex is composed of four buildings, each surrounding a courtyard.

Van Arsdel said the university is leasing two of the buildings for one year, and neither building will be full.

Two resident assistants and one community assistant will work inside the apartment complex.

"We have every bit as much staff as we would have elsewhere," he said.

Because the complex is not a university owned building, Van Arsdel said students would be without some amenities found in the residence halls.

Like the Corleone Residence Hall, which the university also leases for student housing, Palm Shadows does not have ethernet connections or university phone service.

Van Arsdel said safety of the residents is a concern, but no more so than in any other dorm.

"Right now, we don't see anything that tells us concern for safety of students should be a factor," he said.

Future housing crises should be avoided once the university builds more residence halls. Two are planned in the North Highland Avenue area as well as an expansion to the Pima Hall.