The Patriot

Issue date: 1/22/08 Section: Voices & Times

Media Credit: Shantrice Radford Rotting wood is visible below a peeling baseboard in The Village apartments.

Media Credit: Shantrice Radford Some units in The Village have

Students who live on campus spend a small fortune for housing at the Forest Villas and The Village apartments. But residents of the Forest Villas are the only ones who get what they pay for.

Equipped with full-sized beds, spacious rooms, updated kitchens, bathrooms and living areas, $2,195 is a reasonable price for those apartments. On the other hand, The Village apartments are run-down spaces that barely are up to standard, yet they still cost at least $1,750 a semester.

"Last semester, we had a leak from a bathroom above us on the second floor that was really gross," said Furnisha Davis, a junior and resident of The Village apartments. "Water was coming down into my roommate's room through electrical outlets and in some places near the kitchen."

Leaky bathrooms aren't even the half of it.

In my apartment in The Village, the shower area is a disgusting site. Decaying wood has been left exposed by its peeling borders for at least a semester.

Not only that, but our smoke detectors obviously are ancient.

There's one safety hazard after another, yet the cost to live on campus continues to steadily increase.

Where do we as students draw the line?

In my opinion, the housing staff is more concerned about bringing money in from students than actually supplying an appropriate living space.

The conditions of the older apartments have raised a lot of concern among on-campus residents, such as Latoyleia Williams, a sophomore and former resident of The Village apartments.

"It's obvious that… they probably don't even care how we live over here," Williams said.

I think the rest of the students living in these facilities would agree, and I think the Housing Office should consider some much-needed updates to the older apartments on campus.

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