1,140 visitors look for new homes

The Indiana Daily Student 12th annual Housing Fair combined students, housing vendors and a lot of free stuff Wednesday.\nThe fair offered more than 100 housing options, both on- and off-campus, said IDS Advertising Director Amy Swain. \nThe fair housed 43 booths, several representing multiple properties, with a “Spring Break” theme while others chose their own theme to incorporate.\nThis year, 1,140 people attended the fair, an increase from last year’s 1,050 visitors. \n“It was a very successful year all around,” Swain said, adding that the fair could not have gone on without the hard work and dedication of the students who have been working on this event since October.\nVendors said they appreciated the chance to reach out to potential tenants.\n“It’s a great opportunity to get our name out,” said Kelli Kern, a representative of Hoosier Hideaways. “The students can get out and see what the community has to offer ... actually talk to people.” \nSome students said they also feel they get a lot out of the face-to-face interaction. \n“I looked a lot online, but it’s nice to be able to come and ask questions ... it’s very convenient,” sophomore Ashley Heleine said.\nOther students said they enjoyed the fact that there are so many options in a single place. \n“It’s good because me and my friends are too lazy to go out and look ourselves,” freshman Craig Dauksas said. \nFor some, it’s the free stuff. Junior Seth Walker walked away with cups, candy, shirts and a $25 gift certificate to Kilroy’s. Other giveaways included umbrellas, penlights, lanyards, pens and key chains.\nHousing fair organizers also held drawings for door prizes, which included passes for a day of free parking at the Indiana Memorial Union, tickets to STOMP and “Evita” at the IU Auditorium next month and $25 vouchers from STA Travel.\nSome booths, such as The Village at Muller Park, had virtual video tours for viewing. \n“When (students) actually move in in August ... they actually say, ‘this looks just like it did on the computer,’” said The Village’s regional manager Karen Caparella.\nAs for the difference between dorm and apartment living, Sara Ivey-Lucas, assistant director for housing assignment for Residential Programs and Services, pointed out both pros and cons for each. \n“The staff supervision is different ... you don’t have an RA ... there’s more independence (in an apartment),” she said. She also pointed out “off-campus apartments don’t factor in utilities,” so simply comparing rent to RPS fees is inaccurate for total costs.