On-Campus Housing

Thank you, GVSU housing

Sunday, October 18, 2009

By Daina Salayon
GVL Columnist

Our generation has been accused of being unappreciative time and time again.

This is not one of those times. Sometimes we take it for granted just how far Grand Valley State University goes to accommodate its students, so for once I’d like to take the time to acknowledge GVSU for all that it has done.

Ever since I started attending GVSU it appears the campus has always been under some form of construction.

Walking to class I might get a bit peeved about how loud those large Caterpillars are or what a nuisance it is that I can’t use the parking lot that’s so conveniently placed close to the buildings I need to get to.

Then I have to stop and think. These buildings are for my benefit, for all of our benefits. The old Ravines apartments are being torn down because they were old and GVSU cares enough about its students to build new housing that is more inhabitable.

I’ve visited other campuses and stayed in their dorms. If ever there was a choice, I’d choose GVSU’s housing every time. So thank you, GVSU.

Aside from construction, housing has been quite good to me.

Just before coming to school, I broke my ankle and was in a wheelchair. It wasn’t the perfect start to my first year of college, but those in housing were understanding and they were able to switch me into a handicapped room so I would be more comfortable.

Someone from housing even made sure to come and check on me to make sure my move was going smoothly. It truly is the personal touch that counts. So thank you, GVSU.

This is my third year attending GVSU and I have a friend who has lived in the same Laker Village housing unit all three years. Every time I come back to visit her I think the apartment is going to be the same and it’ll feel like home again.

Not this year. This year is different for a couple reasons.

First, GVSU supplied this apartment with new carpet. As lame as it sounds, new carpet makes all the difference. It gives the apartment a “new” smell to it and it makes the apartment look a ton better.

Second, GVSU supplied this apartment with new furniture. New furniture means the world to a college student. New furniture means that no one else’s oily body has been on that couch before. New furniture means the chair won’t sink on you because it’s broken. New furniture means new comforts. So thank you, GVSU.

GVSU expands more and more each year. This year, campus housing met its limit. There weren’t enough units to house all the students who applied to live on campus. That was a dilemma but it didn’t stop housing from meeting the demands.

Housing proved itself to be innovative and converted common areas to rooms. Instead of having GVSU students fend for themselves off campus, housing found a solution and students found a home. So thank you, GVSU.

Each year GVSU housing gives student new things to be thankful for. So in case we forget to mention it, thank you for all that you do. We really do appreciate you.

Posted 3:03 PM 0 Comments

Let's talk about sex

Sunday, October 11, 2009

By Daina Salayon
GVL Columnist

“Students can’t make out on the lawn in front of the library, and they can’t infringe on their roommates rights by doing the same,” said GVSU Director of Housing Andrew Beauchnau on the front page of the Lanthorn.

Never have truer words been spoken.

The question then becomes: Is it the campus’ responsibility to create rules for the dorms to prohibit this behavior or should it remain a personal issue between those who live in the same room?

As an avid believer in autonomy, I firmly believe this is an issue for roommates to deal with themselves.

Roommate relations have been, and will always be, an issue at every campus.

Throughout the years, I have been extremely lucky with the roommates I have been assigned, considering I roomed blind twice.

So, to be perfectly honest, I have no prior experience with the awkward realization my roommate is having sex in the living room on the couch I always sit on.

However, unfortunately, I am all too familiar with the groans and moans of someone next door having a little too much fun. What comes to mind is that we’re in college and if sex is their prerogative then so be it.

In the real world, or even living in off-campus housing, there are not going to be these policing mechanisms to let your roommate know it is extremely uncomfortable for you when the couple is making out in the living room.

So why not take the experience in college and stick up for yourself when you are paying for half that room, especially the common room?

It’s time for students to get out from under the wing of going to some higher authority such as a parent or resident assistant.

It's time for students to sit their roommates down for an adult conversation to discuss the situation in hopes of a compromise or a roommate who understands the behavior is inconsiderate and can’t happen anymore.

Are we all too immature that this can’t happen? What will happen when the authority figures are gone and we will be forced to deal with the issue by ourselves?

If you can’t deal with it maturely now then you should pray you get to know the habits of future roommates really well before moving in together.

Of course some people disregard the rules for social etiquette and refuse to observe them even after being confronted by them.

This is wrong. People are only allowed to pursue their prerogative as long as it doesn’t affect my own, very similar to the golden rule.

This means you can have sex as long as it’s in your own room, and if we happen to share the same room, then you can’t have sex in it unless boundaries are set up beforehand.

When these rules are violated, a new roommate should be sought out. It’s an issue of respect.

Some may fear this would provoke too many roommate exchange requests, but I have complete faith in people to act accordingly when properly confronted. Then again, I’ve never been in the situation so this is all speculation.

d.salayon@lanthorn.com

Posted 10:51 AM 0 Comments

Students make something useful of procrastination

Friday, October 2, 2009

By Daina Salayon
GVL Columnist

Procrastination leads to the downfall of many, or so every professor wishes students to believe.

I would propose a different outlook on procrastination, a more positive outlook. Just to make things absolutely certain, I am not condoning such practices.

Procrastination is only for the college professional who has had previous work turn out absolutely brilliant even after hours of procrastination. Such activity should also only be done for work that is not ridiculously extensive. Procrastinating on a 30-page thesis paper is not smart, so don’t do it.

However, at the undergraduate level where papers are merely six pages long, procrastination can lead to wonderful creativity, especially in GVSU dorms.

From stories I have heard around campus, GVSU freshmen dorms are just booming with talent and not necessarily in each student’s respective field of study. No, on those nights when students have mounds of homework and no motivation to even pick up a book, genius is born.

Whenever I’d visit my friend in the dorm freshmen year, we would discuss various art projects he was doing. He always had a ton of reading for class, but he could do that just before class or get away without reading it.

It should probably be noted he was in no way an art major. English education was his thing. One day he came over and presented a watercolor painting of me as a present. It had a lot of detail and I imagine it was a nice way to spend time not doing homework.

Today, he’s a Resident Assistant and enjoys creating the posters to hang around the dorm. It’s quite the job placement for this productive procrastinator.

There are many other similar stories milling around GVSU. Another aspiring artist enjoyed spending time on Photoshop turning his friends into middle earth beings, elves to be precise.

Some others have made movies in their spare time. I personally created a complex board game that lasted as long as Monopoly and was just as challenging.

A few friends and I, my freshman year, even gathered to create a script for a horror movie. Unfortunately, it was the end of the semester and we failed to coordinate schedules to actually produce the movie. I, however, still have the script ready to produce when the time is right.

For those who read the Lanthorn, there was a feature of a student who has created his own design company, Tyler Way. He designs shoes for notable Pistons players and even sells “We Run GVSU” T-shirts. His beginnings? He simply procrastinated homework his freshman year at GVSU.

Although procrastination has such a negative connotation, if you’re going to do it make it positive. Procrastinate homework if it’s your prerogative but in the process make something worthwhile. After all, “the time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time.”

d.salayon@lanthorn.com

Posted 10:06 AM 0 Comments

Students must act to defend right to Promise

Sunday, September 27, 2009

By Daina Salayon
GVL Columnist

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a promise is “a legal binding declaration that gives the person to whom it is made a right to expect or to claim the performance or forbearance of a specified act.”

The legislators of Michigan are apparently unaware of such a definition as they debate the prospect of rescinding the Michigan “Promise” Scholarship.

For students who have completed two years of college, this results in a $2,000 loss in funds for continuing education. Eliminating the scholarship reflects an extremely poor image of Michigan that, only four years ago, attempted to showcase the government’s support of education.

No citizen can deny the rescinding of the promise is being done thoughtlessly. Students are able to, and should, e-mail congress expressing their point of view.

However, from the viewpoint of the legislature, the thought behind this legislative decision is strictly utilitarian. According to michiganpromise.com, Michigan’s deficit is astronomically high at $1.4 billion with the Michigan Promise Scholarship setting aside $140 million.

With the scholarship out of the way, Michigan can start to dig herself out of the whole just a little. Some might say this strategy is completely “practical” and college students just need to own up and pay their own bills. This wishful thinking is not entirely valid either.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but many people are aware of how much money they have and how much they can spend. Money is a deciding factor in many decisions. Money chose which college I attended, which housing unit I resided in and what bookstore I shopped at.

Before I made any of those decisions I knew how much I could afford, and the money from the Michigan Promise Scholarship was part of my starting amount. If the Michigan Promise Scholarship is eliminated, my budget is thrown off and there is the possibility I won’t be able to afford some aspect of college.

That sounds dramatic, but it is also, practical. 96,000 students receive this scholarship, according to michiganpromise.com; that is 96,000 students who will have to look elsewhere for aid.

A logical assumption is more loans are going to be taken out, which leaves more students in debt. With students in debt and a failing economy with scarce jobs, many loans may never be paid off, which leads to more people on welfare and social programs set up by the government.

This is, of course, a worst-case scenario, but the issue boils down to state debt compared to thousands of individual debts that will eventually lead to state debt.

It is definitely a tough issue for legislatures in Michigan, but is it really for them to decide? Students are the voters in this state; they wield unimaginable power when it comes to the future of the legislator’s jobs.

So, wield that power. Voice your opinion and send an email to congress. We have a “right to claim the performance or forbearance of” the state’s promise, so let’s make that claim.

d.salayon@lanthorn.com

Posted 3:28 PM 0 Comments

If you can't live with 'em...

Sunday, September 13, 2009

By Daina Salayon
GVL Columnist

As I sit here attempting to decipher what is interesting enough to write about events going on in campus housing, I realize I am at a complete loss.

There are plenty of topics to write about: the installation of the new carpet, which apparently only some units are blessed with, the new laundry cards along with the ever pleasing money incentive to buy one and even the prospect of dorm trips to places such as the Hispanic Festival.

So many possibilities and yet the only topic that sticks out is what to do when you’re sick of your roommate and it has only been two weeks.

Now, even if you love your roommate to death and you are “bffs,” at some point in time you’re going to grow to hate each other, generally sooner than later. I’ve thought of this a couple of times and decided there are a few things that can be done:

1. Completely ignore each other- My first year living on campus I had a really great roommate and we got along really well, most of the time. There were days when we would both be in a bad mood and not want to deal with each other so we’d put on headphones and completely ignore the fact anyone else was there. Sometimes later the same day we’d send each other a message saying something to the extent of “Hey, sorry I ignored you today. Let’s do something next week.” We might have been a really special case, but it worked out really well for us.

2. Spend time apart- Generally roommates get sick of each other because they see each other every day and the little things each person does can annoy the other. Time apart is always a healthy solution. Being together too often is just a recipe for trouble. So go out with other friends, spend time outside of the room, rant if it’s needed and then come back ready to spend another night with your dear friend.

3. A blowout- Naturally no one wants a fight, but sometimes they happen and then everything is laid out on the table so issues can be resolved. I won’t promote this, but if anger has been bottling up then let it out and get it over with.

4. Move out- If living with your friend is completely unbearable then it’s time to split up and face the music: some people just aren’t meant to live together. Yes, it’s a sad fact, but moving out might just be the ticket to saving a relationship.

Clearly there are other ways to deal with hating your roommate. Playing practical jokes on each other to lighten the mood might even work for some people, but these are just some cases I have personally witnessed and they all seem to work, though some a bit cleaner then others. So, if you’re starting to hate your roommate, just remember not to let it get so far as to ruining a friendship and maybe even have fun with the unfortunate situation.

dsalayon@lanthorn.com

Posted 2:35 PM 0 Comments

Wherever you live, there community will be

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

It’s official. Summer is over and school has indeed begun.
The four-day break for Labor Day served its purpose to say farewell to careless days in the sunshine, farewell to family barbecues and farewell to nights at the beach. Grand Valley State University students have finally finished moving everything in and we’re all here to stay.
“Here,” however, is such a broad term. GVSU students are spread all over, from living on campus to living just off campus in apartments in Allendale, to living at home, to living in apartments downtown. GVSU is growing to such an extent that the campus is running out of room to house us all. In fact, according to GVSU vice president Matt McLogan in “GVSU considers housing and dining hall construction project,” GVSU currently has 5,454 beds. There were 6,500 housing applicants last year.
Approximately 1,000 GVSU students had to be denied housing and live off campus. Congratulations to those who received a bed. Most of us definitely take it for granted.
The solution to this problem was evident as soon as everyone arrived back at school. New housing units are being built on 42nd Street to accommodate the obvious need. In addition, an entirely new cafeteria unit complete with a convenience store is being built on the south side of campus to accommodate the apartments that are not in close proximity to Fresh Food. These new improvements will be finished by next year’s fall semester.
Until then, those who were not lucky enough seem to have adapted quite nicely to living off campus. Living on campus everyone has a strong connection to the community around them, it’s easy to make friends and there are always various events going on, but students who have migrated off campus have also formed their own sorts of communities.
For instance, sorority and fraternity members generally live together to keep their community strong. Christian groups such as Intervarsity and His House have even picked close apartments to have strong support systems and plan various activities together. No matter where GVSU students live they can find a helpful community to feel comfortable in.
Until next year, the housing situation must remain as is. Those living on the south side of campus have to make the long trek to Fresh for food and an even longer trek if they’re dying for some Kleiner late night.
Those living on campus must deal with paying for utilities, possibly before any of us are truly willing to take on such a responsibility. Even with all the ups and downs of living on campus and living off campus, GVSU students can rely on one thing: a close family with our fellow peers.

Posted 7:17 AM 0 Comments

Let out the noise

Friday, April 17, 2009

Posted 3:58 PM 0 Comments