Newspaper Page Text
Monday, May 4, 1998
CAMPUS
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THE MAROON TIGER
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PAGE 4
Moving Out Beyond the Gates
Dormitory life Heads South at North Campus Hotel
By Mikhia Hawkins
Campus News Editor
For the first time ever, on-
campus Morehouse students
experienced residential life off-
campus.
The overflow of incoming
students this year forced the
college to lease out rooms at an
area hotel, precipitating much
discontent among some
students.
In reviewing their
residency at the Howard
Johnson hotel, students
generally referred to both the
positive and negative aspects
of their stay there. Most
"Hojo" residents, however,
felt their housing situation was
fraught with disadvantages.
"It is the most
dysfunctional hotel I have ever
seen," said Devaughn
Stephens, a Junior Business
Administration and Sociology
major. "It has been a terrible
experience. Also, there are
some safety deficiencies;
almost all of the entrances into
the hotel are open at all times."
Others cited
improvements made
throughout the year.
"Although we are still at a
disadvantage because
traveling to and from campus
without a car is inconvenient,
the shuttle services have
improved," said Thomas
Morris, a Senior Finance major.
"At first, it was very erratic."
Indeed, most students
cited traveling as a major
inconvenience. The distance
between the school and the
hotel — and the infrequent
shuttle service — was a bone
of contention among residents
throughout the year. Many felt
isolated, having little access to
on-campus activities.
But some complaints and
concerns are directed toward
the residents themselves.
There have been several
reports of drug use and
generally inappropriate — not
to mention destructive —
behavior on the part of
students. A number of
damages done to the hotel,
including an incident of
vandalism on a vending
machine, as well as damages
done to doors have been
blamed on the Morehouse
residents.
During the course of this
story, the Resident Director at
the Howard Johnson, John
Shaun Spearmon/STAFF
PICTURE PERFECT? Not quite. Housing Morehouse
students at the Howard Johnson Hotel hasn't worked out
well for either the college or the hotel management.
Paisley, was contacted unavailable for comment on
numerous times. He was each occasion.
Off-campus living Not All Fun & Games
By Deisha T. Galberth
Contributing Writer
Rent on time, bound to a
lease,, phone bills to pay, and
utilities — living off-campus is
definitely over-rated!
After enduring a year of
closet-sized rooms and
visitation restrictions, many
Morehouse students will
move off-campus next Fall.
They look forward to casting
long lines in the cafeteria and
communal bathrooms into
fond memories, and are ready
to exchange "dorm life" for
"adult life."
Ah, if only it were that
simple. Take, for instance,
choosing an apartment.
"There are waiting lists for
places that you never
suspected," says Kelven
Goodridge, a Senior Biology
major, who moved off-campus,
this spring. "Some places
require that you earn two or
three times the monthly rent,
they do a credit check, they
might even want you to have
lived in an apartment before."
Goodridge's advice?
"The one thing I've
noticed is that places that
advertise in publications like
Creative Loafing have less
stringent rules that those who
publish in monthly rental
guides," he says. "A lesser
known but better way is to
drive around the location of
your choice and look for signs
that say, '1-bedroom or 2-
bedroom for rent.'"
Tip No. 2 : A carefully
chosen roommate is crucial.
If all the financial matters
related to the apartment aren't
tended to in a timely fashion
because of a roommate's
tardiness, one's credit rating —
among other things — can be
thrown into severe jeopardy.
"Make sure both of you
are independent but at the
same time you can depend on
each other,"says Marcus Shaw,
a Junior dual-degree Math and
Engineering major
And then there are the
bills — not just rent and
utilities, but other incidentals
that pop up when least
expected.
"The first year is always
the hardest," says Ed Davis, a
Senior Biology major. "You
have to buy furniture and pay
the application fee. You have
to buy all sorts of kitchenware
and hundreds of other things
you think you can live without
until they become a necessity."
Finally, there is the painful
commute, whether one drives
or takes MARTA.
"Getting up for a class
and coming to campus early to
find parking is always a
hassle," says Earlie Billups, a
Junior Accounting major.
Shamrun Lodkey agrees.
"The worst thing about
living off-campus is relying on
the Atlanta public
transportation system," says
Lodkey, a Sophomore
Business Administration
major. "It's undependable."
Current off-qampus
students, therefore, suggest
that one take into
consideration the commute
time and proximity to campus
when picking an apartment.
