Last-minute change to housing options frustrates some Wingate students

By Peyton Riddick
Triangle contributor

Wingate students returning from Easter Break faced an unexpected dilemma upon their return due to last-minute adjustments made by Residence Life to next year’s housing options.

Returning students have been preparing for housing selection for more than a month now and the time has finally come to choose their living space for the next year in the next two weeks, beginning April 4.

Housing options have been set since mid-February to house groups of two, four or eight students, ranging in price and privacy. Students were supposed to receive their group-housing rank numbers on March 3, but all returners were sent an email on April 2 from Residence Life stating that there would be some last-minute adjustments to next year’s housing that will push the dates of housing selection back.

Students in previous years were able to reside in the Bennett and Holbert apartments as a group of two, with each person having their own room and a private bathroom. It was announced through the email that those apartments are now being remodeled for double occupancy bedrooms to fit four people instead.

“Our returning students are retaining at a high rate; anyone who has completed a housing application is guaranteed housing,” Res Life said via email. “In order to minimize the amount of students who are on a temp list at the end of the process, we have decided to convert Bennett and Holbert apartments back to double occupancy in order to accommodate the size of our upperclassmen residents.”

Students were frustrated and left anxious with the news as they were suddenly scrambling again to come up with alternative options. The private bedrooms and bathrooms that apartments like Bennett, Holbert and South Village provide are in high demand for upperclassmen every year and students have been set in planning their groups and housing options for weeks.

“The last-minute change is frantic and honestly irritating,” said junior Sam Patton. “As someone who was going for Bennett or Holbert, it puts me and my roommate in an uncomfortable situation that has us trying to come up with an alternative at the last minute.”