Quincy University residence life directors have changed the housing selection process for the Fall 2018 semester. Students spent Friday April 13th, hoping to get their first choice in a random housing lottery.

Residence Director Genesis Torrens said this new housing selection process will now be ‘fair across the board’, instead of the previous merit based system. She said the previous housing system was defective. Torrens said last year students complained that they were in class or had wifi issues when the housing application opened online, and they didn’t get the rooms they wanted. She says the new system eliminates the problems that come along with a first come first serve basis. The new system uses a number system where students choose rooms based on a number they drew from a box.

“It’s universally fair now. It used to be based on whoever signed up first or GPA; now it’s being put into a group of people,” Torrens said. ” It used to be as long as you signed up first, you got what you wanted. It’s now an even playing field. Within those numbers, you get a fair chance to choose. A lot of people are like ‘it’s so stupid’, but honestly it just makes it fair.”

Some students are disappointed with the change and say they liked last year’s system better.

Sophomore student Justin Eads was especially upset when he didn’t get his first choice, instead he was placed in his last choice of rooms.

“I am going to be a junior, fairly ahead in credit hours and I am being forced to go to my third, and potentially fourth option, all because I picked a number that had no correlation to what I have done in the classroom and all based on my ability to pick a number out of a cardboard box,” Eads said.

Students were to fill out a housing application that was sent through email on March 22. On Wednesday, April 11, students woke up early to wait in the SSC to confirm their housing application and choose a number from Box 1, 2 or 3. The lower the number, the greater the chance of a first choice option housing arrangement. Essentially, the number chosen defined the student’s future living space for the upcoming year.

Room selection process began at 6 p.m. Friday, at the SSC. The Residence Life directors started with number 1 and worked their way to 350. If a number was called and the student was not present, they would move on. Senior row houses, SLC single rooms, Woods’ single rooms, and Willer suites were the first to go to students with numbers lower than 60. Double and triple rooms in the SLC went to students with numbers lower than 100.

Students entering into their senior year, like Emily McCleery, Michelle Patterson, and Oluwatimilehin Ajayi, were hoping to get their first option spots but the numbers they picked at random were too high.

“I’m not happy with the number I pulled,” Patterson, who drew 193, said.

McCleery was hoping to live in the SLC her last year on campus, but she pulled 183 from the box.

“Honestly I think it’s unfair for the people who’ve worked harder. I think people with a higher GPA should get it also,” McCleery said.

Ajayi, who pulled 175, said that a student has to be ‘lucky’ in order to get where they want. He said that upperclassmen were competing with sophomores.

Although some students were upset, others were fortunate. Students who pulled higher numbers were less bothered about the system. Seniors Kyle Fraser and Scott Prsha were planning on living together in the SLC. They received an SLC room because Fraser pulled the number 25. Fraser admitted to feeling bad for the students who have put in hours of work and time into their academics and didn’t get the room they wanted.

“For seniors, we shouldn’t have been so nervous about getting a room. For seniors who got higher numbers, I just think, that could’ve been us,” Fraser said.

But Prsha decided to look at the positive side of things.

“It’s an even slate, everything has its advantages and disadvantages,” Prsha said.

Despite the drawbacks and complaints from students, Residence Life directors see this new system as an opportunity to show impartiality to the students.

“A lottery system means no favoritism shows. Fairness is open to everyone. We just have to lay it all out there. Sometimes we get stuck in the zone of entitlement. Instead, it’s now an equal chance on picking a number to get a spot,” Torrens said.

Emily Van Rie didn’t see the system as fair. Her 4.0 GPA and early graduation date didn’t get her the number she hoped for.

“I do not like the new process. I just think it’s unfair. With the golf guys, some of them are ineligible to play golf and they got better spots and numbers than we did. It was supposed to ‘reward those in good standing’,” Van Rie said.

Van Rie and her teammate Carri Lord pulled 130 and 160 and said they lost hope in snagging a room in the SLC.

“It’s not fair,” Carrie Lord added.

Aloysius Cooper, will be a junior this fall and hoped to receive a room in Padua Hall.

“It’s pitiful. I don’t like this. I think they should’ve stuck with last years way: online and simple. For it to be like this is too much and it’s adding stress on themselves,” Cooper said. “I just hope they don’t ever do this process again.”

Students approved for Willer themed housing, Greek housing, Nursing housing, and honors housing received their housing assignments at 8 p.m. Thursday, April 12.