Students seek housing at 13th annual fair

Students uncertain about their housing had the chance to view all of their options in one room on Thursday.

More than 100 housing options were available during the 13th annual Indiana Daily Student Housing Fair on Thursday in Alumni Hall in the Indiana Memorial Union.

Last year more than 1,000 students attended the housing fair, compared to this year’s student attendance of 850.

Going along with the tropical vacation theme, many vendors decked out their tables with balloons, beach balls and tiki designs.

Although students might have been looking for housing, other treats were in store for them.

Names were drawn every 20 minutes throughout the day for door prizes including gift certificates and video games.

That was not the only way students could walk out of Alumni Hall with their arms full. Many vendors like the Stratum at Indiana, which was recently built near College Mall, had giveaways of their own.

“Not only could anyone who provided their name and info win a flat-screen TV or enter the Wii challenge to the most home runs,” said Jen Deneen, who works with the Stratum, “but we also provide specials for August, waiving the deposit fee for anyone who signs within the month.”

Off-campus living was one of the available resources at the Housing Fair, but Chris Bruce, a representative from Residential Programs and Services, was there to provide students with information about on-campus apartments.

“We are some of the only places that do six-month leases and that are actually are on campus,” he said.

Despite the prizes, many students were focused solely on finding a place to live for the upcoming school year.

Freshman Leslie Bush saw all the options in one place as motivation for coming to the fair.

“I had actually been to a lot of places, and now I can come here where they are all together to look for the right one,” Bush said.