Lottery losers seek solace elsewhere

Last spring, Margot Stuchin, CC ’11, was wait-listed for housing.

Upon entrance to her dorm in 600 West 113th—commonly known as Nussbaum—she felt uncomfortable due to the scaffolding and construction crew directly outside her window.

“They could have climbed into my room,” Stuchin said.

Eventually, Stuchin was allowed to move to McBain, where she currently resides. Stuchin hoped to be dealt a better hand in this spring’s housing lottery, but the rising junior’s number was even worse: 2900 out of 3000.

The housing lottery has been known to leave some students elated by their opportunity to choose housing first. As in any lottery, only some can win, and many students are left disappointed with their bleak prospects for the upcoming academic year in Columbia’s residential halls.

Judy Kim, SEAS ’12, is participating in the lottery for the first time. She is vying for a six-person suite in general selection. With a lottery number of 2184, she’s unsure of how to interpret her situation.

“Some people are telling me I’m screwed and some people are telling me I’m not,” Kim said.

In the Columbia housing lottery, registered rising seniors, juniors, and sophomores are first assigned a point value of 30, 20, and 10, respectively, and are then given a random lottery number. Students and groups of students with the highest point values are allowed to choose their housing first. Within each point value, those with the highest lottery numbers take priority.

“It’s confusing, but I guess its fair. I mean, how else are you going to do it?” Kim said.

After several negative experiences, Stuchin had a few ideas. “I think that it [Stuchin’s experience this year] has basically led me to be obsessed with the housing process and all its problems,” she said. Stuchin suggested that if a students are put in the bottom 10 percent one year, they should be promised the top 40 percent the next.

With lottery numbers ranging from 1 to 3000, it is certain that some students will be unhappy with their lottery numbers. But some Columbia housing residents repeatedly left unlucky feel as though the housing system is out to get them.

This is the second year in which Ari Golub, CC ’11, is trying for a suite in Ruggles. Last year, he and six other rising sophomores and one rising junior did not get the suite they hoped for—even with the slight point advantage that comes with having one older member.

This year, Golub and his group are not particularly hopeful. “It turns out we have the worst number of all of the eight-person groups [going for Ruggles],” Golub said.

Now, Golub and his group are thinking of getting an apartment off-campus, which actually costs less for an entire calendar year than does Ruggles for an academic one. Golub seems happy with this plan.

“We can live the way we want,” Golub said. “It’s like getting the suite we want without having to go through the housing process.”

Students who will remain in the room selection process will have to make do with their lottery numbers and know that sometimes, they’ll just get screwed.

news@columbiaspectator.com