Days after submitting their contracts for housing in Spruce Hall for the 2019-20 school year this past spring, three IU students received an email from Residential Programs and Services.
The email told then-freshmen Jack Ashburn, Gabbie Thompson and Evan Gnott they would have to live in off-campus housing because there was no room for them on campus.
"I had already picked out a room and signed up for that housing contract, and I had to restart my plans,” Ashburn said.
After issues with mold in McNutt Quad and Foster Quad led to the university closing several residence halls, some upperclassmen who had signed housing contracts with the university were forced to move into off-campus apartment complexes. But instead of leasing directly with the complexes, their contracts are with the university.
Ashburn, Thompson and Gnott are now roommates spending their school year at The Avenue On College, an apartment complex off campus.
The three have had to adapt to living in a different environment. None of them feel particularly close to the rest of the community since it is much larger than Spruce, where they all lived last year. Gnott said there are people who live on his floor who he hardly sees because it is so big.
Besides an ice cream social in the beginning of this school year, Thompson said she has not heard of anything else to do as a community.
“Community-wise, I don’t really know any of my neighbors,” Thompson said.
Thompson and Gnott both said they have also found it more difficult to get to class. Although there are new bus routes that pick up students in the area, Gnott said the buses aren’t always regular.
While transportation has been an issue for Gnott and Thompson, Ashburn said it hasn’t really been a problem for him.
When Ashburn found out he would be moving, he said he only felt mildly inconvenienced. He said although he’s had to handle more on his own than in the past, it has helped him grow up more. He said he looks at this independence as a good thing.
“It’s more adult-like,” Ashburn said.
A main change for Gnott was not being as close to a dining hall and instead having to cook at home.
“Food was quick and easy,” Gnott said.
Thompson said in general, the new environment has just been less efficient regarding money and food.
Although the roommates get an adjusted housing cost, extra expenses such as buying groceries leads Thompson to say she thinks she will spend more this year than she would have had she stayed in Spruce this year.
“As of right now, I would like to move back to campus,” Gnott said.
