Housing lottery revisited

2 NEWS

The housing lottery revisited: Residence Life weighs in

LAUREN MCCREARY Staff Writer

After Bethel’s housing lottery on April 11, all who took part had a different opinion on the results. Some students were left satisfied while others struggled to adapt to what was left for housing. Community Assistant (CA) Drannon Lenox, junior from Norman, Okla. thinks that the housing lottery went very well this year as compared to past years.

“In my opinion I think the housing lottery went very well. It only took a couple of hours, which is a major improvement over doing it virtually last year.” Lenox said. He went on to give details on how this event looked in context with past lotteries.

“I would say it ran smoother than even one, two school years ago. The housing lottery is a process that has stayed relatively the same over the years, but we are always looking to make things easier and less stressful for students, so we are open to any changes or improvements that could be made,” Lenox said.

One change that was made this year was a four-week notification plan. Emails, social media platforms, campus screens and flyers were set up around campus, so students were very aware of the upcoming event.

All first year students were given the opportunity to attend an information session at Haury and more time was set aside to answer questions in the Caf.

“Next year, we will continue to do more of those things in hopes that students will have a comfort level with the process,” Chywonna Gonzalez, coordinator of student life and resident life operations, said.

Although both the CAs and Residence Life had a positive outlook on the results of the housing lottery, most students had an opposite opinion.

“We had about several mod groups have to go on the wait list, which caused some issues in Voth with people having to fill in and [people] not getting the full suites they wanted,” said Lenox.

There has been a perception of lack of housing because of the amount of single rooms needed to accommodate some students’ needs.

With many students choosing to room alone, it appears that there is a lack of housing here on campus. However, this is a false shortage. Students who have single room requests will receive notice in the next few weeks as Residence Life processes housing needs for everyone and assigns roomless students to suites and mods.

Although many groups were not happy with where they ended up, there are still things to keep in mind.

“The housing for next year is not set in stone; there is some variability in certain mods being opened up next fall. This is especially true with all the mods and their wait list groups, so I would say to trust the process and it should work out for everyone,” Lenox said.

With the newfound problem of a lack of housing, the question of new residential buildings has repeatedly come to play.

“Having another residence building would also allow the college to have a bigger on-campus population and allow for a whole host of new opportunities for the school and student population.” said Lenox.

Overall, however, those involved with organizing the lottery were pleased with student responses.

“I would thank all the students who attended and it helped a lot that most people knew exactly what they wanted to do. We thank you for your patience and hopefully, those who might not have got what they wanted will later on once we have a more solid understanding of how next semester will look from a residence life perspective” said Lenox.

Leonard Pitts Jr. takes Bethel by storm in KIPCOR lecture

ARTHUR MAHRER Staff Writer

The Bethel community was honored on Sunday, April 25, with the virtual presence of Leonard Pitts Jr. Pitts is a commentator, journalist and novelist, as well as being the recipient of the 2004 Pulitzer Award for Commentary.

Pitts offered an eye opening lecture on the pressing question: “Is America Still Possible?” Despite the pessimism of the question’s tone, his verdict begged to differ. The answer he offered to the audience was one of optimism, saying “Yes, America is still possible.”

In 2017, Pitts spoke in Memorial Hall to thunderous applause. This year’s speech, sponsored by KIPCOR, focused on the influence of a tumultuous Trump presidency, and on the political polarization of the nation. His message was especially concerned with the racial consequences of such a divide, as well as a recap on the historical failing of Americans to uphold the true values of America. Pitts boldly discussed the changes occurring in American society and the inhibitions of such progress.

Highlighting fear as the root cause of the current political and subsequent racial divide, Pitts separated the concept of America as an entity from the agents entrusted to its success: average Americans.

Pitts took many lessons from other great rhetoricians; he quoted Thomas Jefferson’s words in the Declaration of Independence, but also cast doubt on whether Jefferson truly understood the power of the words “they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights.”

In presenting the contradiction of Jefferson’s words, Pitts also quoted Martin Luther King, Jr. from a speech on April 3, 1968: “Be true to what you said on paper.” Pitts was hinting at the inability of the American people to achieve the true and intended purpose of America.

A final point made by Pitts was that the concept of fear in American society is defined by the gradual multi-colorization of the country, noting that “less than half the children of the age fifteen today are white...we are all becoming minorities.”

The aggressive response from a segment of the population, notably on the side of the right, hints at fears of racial mixing. However, Pitts’ response put a quick end to those misconstrued fears by saying that “when you are accustomed to privilege, equality seems like oppression.”

Finally, Pitts noted that the fixing of America by Americans is a gradual process and a making of generations.

According to Pitts, the ultimate key is to be intentional in addressing social issues like race relations to overcome the forces of evil that appear to be more dynamic than the good.

This lecture overall imparted community members and students alike with the wisdom and hope Pitts has to offer; by taking these lessons, Bethel takes steps forward in fostering a welcoming community to all.