All the boys in the lounge

Due to overcrowded residence halls and a lack of housing cancellations, 38 students have been designated to live in lounges -- all of them male. \nBecky Kehrberg, who works assignments for Residential Programs Services, said males, statistically, are usually the latest applicants and therefore receive last priority for housing.\nTwo such statistics are sophomore David Anderson and junior Jordan Bisch, whose current quarters are a lounge on the 8th floor of Forrest B. They're spoiled with space and air conditioning, but lack in other "amenities," like a proper lock and phone line.\nFor visual entertainment, their options are limited to looking out the windows, framed by offensively non-threatening pastel hotel curtains, or watch static snow on their television.\nThey have no place for a computer and phone, which they said puts a severe dent on their social life.\n"We can't get in touch with anyone because we don't have a phone line here," Bisch said. "My friend had to track me down and get escorted up to my room."\nAnderson's brother, Daniel, who was in town visiting for the weekend, slouched on one of the four light purple couches and talked about the lack of things to do.\n"You can't do anything -- you can't watch TV or listen to the radio because your roommate might not like what you listen to," he said. \nKehrberg said RPS is doing everything it can to get lounge students relocated and accomodate their housing requests, but that space is limited and earlier applicants get top priority.\n"As we get down into assigning dorm rooms, later applicants don't always get their top preferences, either," Kehrberg said. "So it's not just the lounge people."\nOnce a room becomes available, Kehrberg said students have to come in, sign paperwork and take the assignment. Eighteen students have already been moved.\nWhile Anderson and Bisch said they are eager to be relocated to their permanent rooms and understand they have last priority, they don't want their main requests discounted.\nBisch said he wanted to remain in or near Forrest so he could be close to the music school instead of being sent all the way to McNutt.\nAnderson said he would feel "cheated" if they didn't comply with giving him a single room.\n"I can't handle a roommate," Anderson said. "I don't want to do the roommate thing. I mean, living with someone is cool for right now because I have no control over the situation. But if they try to stick me with a roommate, there will be issues."\nAnderson had unexpected extra roommates the day a group of students came in to put the lounge to use.\nThe three male students gained entry because their room keys gave them access to what's supposed to be the floor's community space. Since all three tenants were gone, the "visitors" ate breakfast and threw some stuff around until one of the tenants came in. \nThe men then said, "Sorry, man, we didn't know this was your room," and left.\nIf one can ignore the pile of unpacked suitcases on the floor, two sets of bunk beds and towels drying on their racks, there wouldn't be a way to know the lounge was someone's temporary quarters because there's no sign on the door and the lock hasn't been changed.\nStudents had visited their room before that, as well. Roommates are still held in the lounges. Anderson expelled a resigned sigh when he found out there would be yet another one this past Sunday. \nNext door neighbor freshman Mitchell Rhodes, who was already settled into his room and fiddling with his computer, said meetings aside, he has not been inspired to go into the lounge and would be irritated if he had to live there.\n"(The lounge situation) doesn't really bother me because I don't want to use it," Rhodes said. "But if they accept you at a school, they should have a place for you -- they should plan ahead"