Moving on UP by Rosemary Peters

December 3, 2009

The Beacon

Moving on UP As December rolls around, it is time for UP students to start thinking about where they want to live next year. To make this process easier, ‘Moving on UP’ is The Beacon’s guide to aid students in finding the perfect house, as well as turning that house into a home.

Renters’ Rights When renting, both landlords and renters are bound by certain responsibilities Hannah Gray Staff Writer gray12@up.edu Do you have problems with your landlord? The tenant-landlord relationship can be a fragile one. You need to make sure you keep the house nice, stay on good terms and always pay the rent. The tenant needs to be respectful of the landlord’s property. The landlord, in return, needs to be proactive. However, that doesn’t always happen. Often, there is a negligent tenant and a lazy landlord. Regardless, there are legal

rights that protect both the landlord and the tenant. Under Oregon State Law, Chapter 90, Title 10: Property Rights and Transactions, there are requirements the landlord is obligated to uphold. First, before you sign a lease, make sure your landlord provides the essentials. It is important to know what the basics are. Landlords are required by law to provide a certain level of safety and cleanliness to their tenants. There are certain aspects of the residency that the landlord is required to deliver before renting, according to habitability rights of tenants Chapter 90.320. The landlord must waterproof and weatherproof the house. The doors, windows, roof and walls should keep rain and wind out. In addition, the doors and windows should all appropriately lock, as well as have a corresponding key if needed. Another area a landlord is re-

quired to provide is a means for hot and cold running water that is connected with a sewage system. Additionally, the landlord needs to provide a source that can heat the entire complex. Furthermore, landlords have to install working fire detectors, complete with batteries. A second area that can complicate the tenant-landlord relationship is repairs. It can be confusing to know who is responsible, as well as getting your landlord to be proactive. Often, college students find it hard to get a hold of their landlord. A good gauge to know when the tenant should fix it or when your landlord should is the extent to which you are responsible. If it is out of the tenant’s control, then it is a landlord issue. The tenant is required to keep the residency in respectable shape, according to Oregon State Law under Chapter 90.325. Also, it is important to under-

stand the terms of the lease because the minimal aspects, like repairs, are often covered in the lease. However, there are ways to co-op the landlord into fixing repairs, besides suing him. If a repair is not made within 30 days from when the notice was received by the landlord, Portland has building code enforcement, under Title 29: Property Maintenance Regulations. This allows an inspector to examine the residency and evaluate any violations. In Portland, if violations are found, the inspector will send a letter to your landlord and will fine them if they do not fix the problems within 30 days. This system is compliant driven, so it is necessary to be persistent. Another option is to give the landlord a 30-day notice that states the tenant will move out if the necessary repairs aren’t made within a certain period of time.

For a month-to-month tenancy, the time period for vital services, such as water and plumbing, is seven days. Even though these measures may seem extreme, there are few legal options that tenants can pursue. There is no specific statute that states when a landlord has to make a repair. However, it is best to talk to the landlord before taking drastic measures. Additionally, regardless of how safe an area is, around college campuses there is often theft. It is important to know if the lease covers renters insurance. If the lease does not cover it, there is nothing a landlord has to legally do to recover the loss. Therefore, it can be beneficial for a student to buy renters insurance. For more information of duties of tenants and landlords, go to the Oregon State bar Web site – www.osbar.org.

The Commons gets a lot of verbal abuse from students. There are too many carbs, not enough vegetables, the food has no flavor and the menu is subpar. These are just a handful of

complaints that can be heard while walking around campus. Although guff is often heard from those living on campus, rarely is it echoed from those living off campus.

This is because no matter the quality or desirability of the food, a hot meal that’s ready to be consumed with no cooking time and no trips to the store is not to be scoffed at.

Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to have a meal plan. So, for those living off campus, we’ve compiled some quick and easy recipes that taste great and won’t break the bank.

Hot and fresh out the kitchen

Sydney Syverson Staff Writer syverson11@up.edu

The Best Bean Dip Ever

Sydney Syverson

Jamie Kerr

the bottom of Spread the beans out on h. Stir the dis g kin tal ba a rectangular glass or me ll mixed, and we til un am cream cheese and sour cre ing and garlic. Spread the and add the taco season nly. Add a layer of mixture over the beans eve about bake at 350 degrees for cheese over the top and a ad ese is bubbly. Then d 25 minutes or until the che rve Se . ed tomato layer of lettuce and chopp ips. Serves six. ch a till tor with $17 total.

1 can ref ried beans 3/4 cup sou r cream 3/4 cup cream cheese 1 tablespoon taco seasoning 2 cloves of garlic cheddar cheese lett uce chopped tomatoes

Basic Cheese Q uiche incredibleegg.or g

Heat oven to 37 5 degr evenly in bottom of pie shell. To ees. Spread cheese p with filling in even layer (fill ing can be any an combination of meat, seafood cheese, or vegetables. Filling ingredie should be cook nts ed, not raw). B eat eggs, milk in medium bow and salt l until blended. Pour over fillin pie shell. Bake g in until knife inse rted near center comes out clea n, 5 minutes. Serv about 30 -40 minutes. Let st and for es six people. About $15.50 to tal or $2.58/pe rson.

Taco Soup

1 baked pie cr us t 6 eggs 1 cup milk 1 cup sh redded cheese 1/2 teaspoon sa lt

1 cup of bacon, peppers and onions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Add two cans of soup and milk. Stir and heat. Add rice and broccoli, salt and pepper. Pour in greased 9x13 casserole dish. Sprinkle with cheese. Cover with foil and bake for one hour. Remove foil and bake 10 minutes longer. Serves four to six people. About $15 total or $3/person.

1 can corn 1 can green beans 1 can kidney beans 1 large can diced tomatoes 1 can of tomato sauce

taco seasoning, salt and pepper

1 pound of lean ground beef

Broccoli Rice Casserole Lauren Berg

Open and pour all canned ingredients in a large pan. Brown ground beef and chopped onions and add to vegetable mix. Add salt, pepper, and taco seasoning to taste. Bring to boil and let simmer for about 30 minutes. Serve with tortilla chips and cheese. Serves four to six people. About $14 or $2.80/person.

1 onion, chopped 1/2 stick butter 1 cup milk 1 pkg. frozen broccoli florets 1 cup cheddar cheese 1 cup minute rice 2 cans cream of chicken soup salt and pepper

Moving

December 3, 2009

Moving off campus is a complica Students often find themselves fl the housing process without muc Below are some simple steps to g on their journey to secure the pe

“I’m thinking about living off campus. I’ll be a senior, and it’s probably about that time to live off campus. I live in Haggerty, and it’s alright.”

w ho se- nt e u a cidy ho u w theyur e o D an y m Fo m tes ho e. use e a w b m nd uld e hois th on. a ho fiv s m s to ate com u m st o yo e e r m fa o liv th t d w ho ing s an unt ing e ll u o l cid wi mp am wil ing e e D ar ca est is lud e c . om gh n in es fr hi eryoay, iliti ev to p ut

e c n e id fe s Re Li

- Mike Bastasch, junior

“I really like the independence of living off campus. I also really like driving to school.”

- Gabby Hansen, sophomore

Moving out checklist p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p p

p p p p p p p p p p p

p Salt and pepper Cookware essentials: p Baking powder and soda Mixing bowls p Vanilla extract Skillet Pots p Aluminum foil and plastic wrap Casserole dish Baking sheet Fridge essentials: Cutting boards p Butter/margarine Measuring cups and spoons p Cheese Grater and strainer p Milk p Eggs Spatula p Yogurt Can opener p Jam/jelly Wooden or stainless steel p Ketchup Cooking spoons p Low-fat mayonnaise Knives p Mustard Oven mitts Whisk Dishtowels Cleaning essentials: Plastic/ Gladware containers p Vacuum Microwave p Broom/dustpan Flatware, bowls, utensils, cups p Mop/bucket p Bathroom cleaner with bleach Cupboard essentials: p Disinfecting wipes for counters p Dish soap Rice Pasta and pasta sauce p Dishwasher detergent Canned dice tomatoes p Sponges (lots of them) Extra virgin olive oil p Windex/ surface cleaner Canola oil Cooking spray Room essentials: Bread p Desk, desk chair, clothing Cereal p Storage, bed Peanut butter p Reading lamp p Mini fridge Honey p Coat hooks Flour and sugar

a r c

t s i l s ig

The Game Of

e k th lin t. h d n d l is c Fi tlan igs searhe le. r ra t b Po n c and gh aila o m ou v a co thrses u ho

“We found the house on craigslist, called the landlord, and scheduled a time to see the house.” -Ann Aeyes, junior

“Our house had a huge leak, and one of my roommates didn’t have to pay rent for a few months. This made me miss the dorms a little.”

- Loan Duong , junior

g on UP

The Beacon

ated process. floundering in ch instruction. guide students erfect home.

Go to the Residence Life office.

Basic home toolbox

When living off campus, something is bound to go wrong. Whether it is an over flowing toilet or a shelf knocked loose by a drunken partier, UP off-campus residents must be ready to deal with any broken home décor or appliance curve-balls thrown their way. Preparing a tool kit to keep in their homes is a good way to start. Sophomore Kevin Kelly lives in a house with three other guys and finds himself reaching for the duct tape frequently. “It fixes anything and everything,” Kelly said. “Thank God for duct tape.” Additionally, he recommends keeping a hammer, electric drill, socket wrenches and screws handy for hanging pictures and adjusting loose fixtures. The Physical Plant employees agree and add a few more objects to the list, urging students to invest in a Leatherman, a good knife, a level In a binder, and meathere is a list sur-

ing tape. They also suggest that students learn how to fix little problems around their homes. “It’s good to buy a crescent wrench and learn how to turn the water on and off in your house,” Rick Hoskins, a Physical Plant carpenter, said. Along with all of the suggested items listed above, junior Peter VanDomelen and his roommates keep a flashlight and rubbing alcohol. The flashlight can be used in case of a power outage and the rubbing alcohol helps clean up little messes and tools. The two most frequently used items in his house are the bottle opener and plunger, however. “Plungers and bottle openers are the most essential of all the tools in a man’s life,” VanDomelen said. “I can’t even tell you how many times we’ve needed and used those things. Plunger to the max.” Though the off-campus toolbox may seem like a large investment, Hoskins insists that many of the items are inexpensive – going for as little as a dollar a piece – and are worth the money. The recommended tools will last for years and keep a house full of college students from falling apart.

of houses for rent, marketed to college students.

-Olga Mosiychuk

es at the s em g it’ ’s us sin se it ho u u d re y are eca , an ey’ e.” b

“Md I er ent e th lac , i an ind en sinc ne p nik b v o n y od re co eas l in W o al n om ri ph -E so

Decide the type of housing you want: 1. rooms/shared, 2. sublets/ temporary 3. apartments/ housing for rent.

CAREFUL! There’s a lot under housing, so you have to weed through to find the ones that are close to UP and that fit your needs.

E-mail or call the landlord. Tell them you’re interested and how many renters there will be.

call E -mail or rd. the landlo Tell them ryou’re intehow ested and rs many renltebe. there wil

R E NT

s m nd e r e t a th he sing ith stu- or , t t o d s us hou se w ost ren n. S oul c s a g h a Di f the a le rd. Ma p o-si nt s o gn lo ed o c re . si and s ne n t t pa ase l nt ia a le h de arde w the u g cid on de go

“We knew the girls that lived in the house before so we got the landlord’s number, and called him and asked if we could rent the house after them.”

- Brian Spencer, senior

Artwork by Samantha Heathcote | THE BEACON

Moving on UP

The Beacon

December 3, 2009

Weighing living options on and off campus Gao Na Yang Staff Writer yang11@up.edu

During his freshman year, junior Brian Burns lived at home in Vancouver, Wash. When the commute became too much, Burns moved into Tyson Hall. This year, he decided to rent near campus to save money. Although he wasn’t in one place for too long, Burns appreciated the opportunity to explore his options. Living in Vancouver restricted his participation in campus activities. By living in Tyson, he was able to develop the social aspect of college life. However, renting allowed him to remain close to campus as well as keep some money in his pocket. “I like renting more than living on campus because I just pay my rent every month rather than paying it all up front as part of my tuition,” Burns said. “And it’s far less expensive than living on campus.” While renting provides an opportunity for independence and experience as an adult with financial responsibilities, Burns made the move for convenience. “I was always fairly independent anyway, so that didn’t change much,” Burns said. “But I hated the commute from home.” Burns has become more costconscious now that he is managing his own money. Grocery shopping and paying the bills are added responsibilities, but they aren’t overbearing, he said.

Junior Samantha Kocher lived in Shipstad for two years before moving to Tyson Hall. Tyson and Haggerty are like apartments and provide kitchenette facilities, shared bathrooms, private laundry facilities and internet access in every room. “My living style hasn’t changed too much,” Kocher said. “I don’t have a roommate, so I’m more spread out and even more unorganized.” Tyson and Haggerty Halls allow more flexibility for residents, but Kocher doesn’t feel that it’s necessary to take advantage of the freedom. “When you grow older, it’s easier to live in a house,” she said. “I liked Shipstad because of the close community and we didn’t have to clean or restock bathrooms, but it’s nice to have my own space.” Senior Kyle Woodard lived in Shipstad during his first two years, but rented during his junior year. He lived in Tyson his senior year and is spending his fifth year in Haggerty. While ROTC spares him the burden of paying for housing, he felt that it was necessary to move into a house. Woodard said that there are many benefits of renting offcampus, such as saving money, learning how to be responsible, personalizing living space and, of course, partying. While hosting parties was a perk, he appreciated the tougher lessons of managing time, space and money. “Believe it or not, I drank

more in Shipstad,” he said. “The on campus.” “It’s like training wheels,” community there was close, but There is evidence that proves Mathews said. “You still have renting teaches you to grow up that students who live on campus the support of your parents while and be responsible.” have better grades, graduate on you’re getting a motion for how Senior Kevlyn Mathews also time, have a better quality edu- to handle those situations.” experienced rapid changes in her cation and better relationships, Universities may provide eduhousing situations that helped her Walsh said. cational growth, but the best colget a handle on independence. “You have your whole life lege experiences induce personal Mathews decided to move out of to live off campus,” Walsh said. growth, Woodard said. Mehling and rent a place of her “Take advantage of the univer“Take advantage of the supown before returning home. sity.” port that UP provides and live “I wasn’t restricted off camWhile that may be true, some off campus,” Woodard said. pus,” Mathews said. “If I wanted students feel that living off cam- “This is a good time to make to come home, I didn’t need my pus provides lessons that living mistakes and a good opportunity ID; if I was hungry, I cooked.” on campus doesn’t fulfill. to take risks.” While some students have opted out of living on-campus, Michael Walsh, director of residence life, stresses the importance of experiencing four years of college on campus. As a college student, Walsh decided to try a little independence. His off-campus experience was horrendous, Walsh said. He returned to campus his junior year. “You’re going to learn a lot no matter what,” Walsh Jordan Schager | THE BEACON said. “But my When deciding where to live, students have several options. They can choose to live in bias is to stay the dorms, the Village, UP owned housing or to rent a house on their own.

der said. A year ago she adopted a dog named Spencer from the Humane Society. Spencer changed Snyder’s lifestyle permanently because he was often sick. “When I got him he had an ear infection, a staph infection, he was losing hair and severely underweight,” Snyder said. “I paid $1,500 in vet bills just to find out what was wrong with him.” Snyder spent even more money trying to find food that Spencer would eat, and also pays $40 per month for medication. “And because of his separation anxiety I have to make trips home in between classes to see him,” Snyder said. “That’s not

including what I do when I’m home, like taking him to the dog park.” Snyder has also had to deal with flea infestations that arose due to the arrival of a kitten her roommate adopted. The fleas bit all of the pets in the house and infested the carpet. The flea treatment was $30 per pet. Sophomore Emma Chadband can relate to Snyder’s flea problems. She also experienced a flea infestation in her house when she adopted an abandoned twoweek old kitten that she found on the street. “If I hadn’t taken him in, he might have starved,” Chadband said. Although pets can bring pests into a house, senior Aly Ferris wishes her lease allowed cats. For the past six months her house has been infested with mice. “I can say that with certainty because I’ve seen them,” Ferris said. Ferris explains that mice get into houses often through holes. A mouse’s bone structure allows it to fit through holes the size of a dime. Ferris and her housemates contacted their landlord about

Renters welcome some - not all - critters Megan Osborn Staff Writer osborn11@up.edu

Moving off campus can be a bit like striking out into the wilderness. Students who choose to live off campus may encounter wildlife through pets they bring into their home and the pests that come in uninvited. Junior Rachel Snyder moved off campus her sophomore year. Excited about the many freedoms that she would enjoy off campus, she was especially thrilled at the prospect of being able to own a pet. “I’ve always grown up with animals, and I was lonely,” Sny-

Erica Ellingsen | THE BEACON

Senior Caterina Purves’s cat, Schnurly, lounges on the furniture in her home. Schnurly went missing two weeks ago. Contact Purves at (808) 896-3213 if Schnurly is found.

the problem. Ferris’ landlord tried traps and a special high frequency sound tool, both of which have failed to help. So, he tried something different. “Our landlord went and put down some poison over fall break without checking with us first,” Ferris said.

Ferris is frustrated with the pet ban in her lease in light of their rodent infestation. “I think the only solution to mice is a cat, which is forbidden in the lease,” Ferris said. “But when we had a cat here briefly over the summer, there were no mice.”