Police seek information on missing rocks See Page 4 for complete story
DRIFTWOOD The community newspaper of the University of New Orleans
Volume: 58 Issue: 8
October 22, 2014
driftwood.uno.edu
Livin’ It Up
Campus housing nears full occupancy Rachel Friedman Driftwood Staff
Jwahr and Fahad Alotaibi knew Lafitte Village was where they wanted to live when Jwahr enrolled as a graduate student at the University of New Orleans. “It’s exciting,” Jwahr said. “I like to be near the school. I can go to the library whenever I want, and it’s safe for children.” Being a safe place for children became very important four months ago when the Saudi Arabian couple welcomed their first daughter, Nora, into the world. Jwahr is pursuing a master’s degree in English at the University of New Orleans, while Fahad is studying business administration at Delgado Community College. He later plans to transfer to UNO. Upon graduation, they plan to return to Saudi Arabia where Jwahr will then teach English. One advantage to Fahad’s enrollment at Delgado over UNO is the availability of daycare. “The campus daycare helps the students with children,” Fahad said, adding that he sees Nora every day Many of their neighbors are also international students, giving them a common bond in learning the city
and bettering their English, Jwahr said. The couple has been extremely happy with their on-campus living arrangments. “This is one of the cleanest apartments I have seen,” Jwahr said. “It has brand new appliances. It is quite safe and quiet. When there was a problem they came to fix it. We also like the people in the office. They are very friendly. And what is better than that?” Lafitte Village is one of three housing options on campus. While it is home to married or partnered students and families, there is dorm living for grads and undergrads at
Pontchartrain Hall and apartments at Privateer Place are open to students of all local colleges. And all are filling fast. With the new first year rule requiring all freshman or first year students in the University of Louisiana system to live on campus, campus housing has nearly hit its maximum capacity. Now that all incoming freshmen are required to live on campus, there was a waiting list for the Pontchartrain Hall dormitories at the beginning of this semester. The waiting list has dropped, but the rooms are still almost at full capacity at 95 percent occupancy. With the new housing requirement, students may continue to fill the on campus housing residences in the future. However, there
are no plans to expand as of yet. “I think the administration is open to expanding if a situation presents itself, especially with new international students coming in,” Director of Housing Mike Brauninger said. If there is a waiting list for dorms, students are admitted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Priority is given to students who are enrolled full-time, while students who are enrolled part-time are allowed to live on campus if occupancy permits. There is an old dormitory building still standing on campus, but administration has no plans to utilize it. “I understand they are making plans to demolish it,” Mike Brauninger said, “They are negotiating this with the state, and I am not sure when that will happen.” Students have been known to make a buzz at the beginning of the semester after first moving in which eventually dies down about three or four weeks into the semester, Brauninger said. Quiet hours are enforced during the week from 10 p.m. until 9 a.m. There are also a number of dedicated study rooms on each floor in each hall which are open to residents 24-7. Pontchartrain Hall also has a small convenience store, game room, free See HOUSING, Page 6
Confessions of an RA “One night I was in the South Hall front desk area, and on the security camera they saw someone run in the east exit late at night. “The person was wearing a costume so they stopped the camera to rewind it. It Bartholomew was a guy dressed in a purple wig and a black gown who ran through the exit and into the hallway. “He actually came back to wave at the camera before going back down the hallway. It was the mysterious purple wig streaker, and we couldn’t find him after. “We could never find him again after that happened.” Aspen Bartholomew, Electrical Engineering major, Senior, RA of South Pontchartrain Hall, first floor