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The Auburn Plainsman Thursday, January 29, 2015

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Design-minded students show off their homes

Are spacious apartments worth the commute?

Snag inspiration from these home dĂŠcor accessories

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

Table of Contents 6

Auburn students show off their style through living spaces.

Can’t see eye-to-eye with your roommate? Check out some tips from resident assistants to ease the tension.

Students weigh in on the difference it makes to live near downtown.

Take a look at some of our favorite things available in and around Auburn.

Pros and cons of living alone and living with roommates.

Cool bedroom hacks on how to keep even a small space organized.

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Thursday, January 29, 2015

Students live in lap of luxury or on the cheap Kendyl Hollingsworth Community Writer

For some students, deciding on a place to live off campus can be a difficult task, but Auburn offers several luxury options tailored to the needs of college students. Complexes such as The Connection, Aspen Heights, Creekside and Two 21 Armstrong were built specifically with student residents in mind. For students on a budget, complexes such as The Connection include water, sewer and trash costs in their monthly rent. This leaves residents with only power as a secondary expense. Michaila Lindow, Creekside resident and sophomore in political science, said she prefers the more luxurious living choice because it feels like home. “I think it’s worth it to be comfortable when you come home,” Lindow said. “Because I’m happier here and I’m more at home, it’s easier for me to stay on task and get things finished

because I’m in a good mood, so that keeps me motivated.” Several students said location is another important factor in deciding where to live. “It’s very convenient when everything is close by because it makes traveling so much easier,” said Will Preston, community assistant at The Connection and senior in political science. “Safety is also something to look into.” Preston said he likes that The Connection is gated and has security cameras near the gates. James Sappington, Two 21 Armstrong resident and senior in marketing, said a neat and clean property makes a difference. “I like it because it’s well-maintained,” Sappington said. “They take pride in what they’re doing, and then I’m more likely to take pride in [my place].” In terms of cost, some students said they think it’s worth it to pay extra to live somewhere more luxurious, while others said they disagreed.

KENNY MOSS / ASSistant PHOTO EDITOR

Complexes such as Aspen Heights, pictured here, offer luxury amenities, often at a rent increase.

Lindow said it’s worth the extra cost if you love the place, while Preston said he had some reservations about the price of luxury. “For me, paying a little more for a nicer place isn’t really what I believe in,” Pres-

ton said. “I go for necessities, not wants. It’s cool that some complexes have more advanced things than others, but in reality I just care that I’m living somewhere in which everything is close to where I live.”

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The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

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Pimp my crib Andria Moore

McGahan said she also tried to incorporate several smaller items in her decorating. “I focused mainly on little details — canAuburn students are not just talented in acadles, flowers, picture frames,” McGahan said. demics and sports, but also design. Callie Barganier, senior in elementary educa- “Things you wouldn’t think about.” “Little details” were something Miller also tion, said she was excited to live in the new Cesaid she kept in mind when she added her go-to dar Creek neighborhood off Thach Avenue. “It’s cool that we’re the first ones to live here accessory — a stack of coffee-table cups — to and break it in,” Barganier said. “We wanted to create a personal effect. McGahan said imagining style is much easier create a space that felt like home.” than buying new furAllison Miller, senior niture, so she and her in interior design who roommates combined lives at Two 21 Armwhat they already had. strong, said she couldn’t “I saw what everybelieve how well her The thing most people like one had to work with, apartment turned out. is the big chalkboard wall in what worked together Miller transformed our kitchen and a big world and what didn’t,” Mcone wall into a chalkmap over our house.” Gahan said. board with bookshelves — Allison Miller In a window-lit corand cheerful sayings. senior in interior design ner of Barganier’s “The thing most peokitchen, right across ple like is the big chalkboard wall in our kitchen and a big world map from the wooden dining room table she and her dad built, sits a gold-rimmed glass cart with over our couch,” Miller said. Miller said she designed her home first with sparkling water and glasses. “My roommate got it from an antique mara theme in mind — “neutral with a touch of yelket, and just decided to spray paint it gold,” Barlow” — and then went from there. Kathleen McGahan, junior in elementary ed- ganier said. Miller said her advice on figuring out where ucation, said her house was designed with “coto start is to first pick a design or theme. ziness” in mind. “First pick one thing, like maybe a pillow or “It’s very spacious and never feels crowded,” McGahan said. “We tried to stick with very fabric,” Miller said. “We pulled inspiration from the shapes and colors on some fabric.” warm, neutral colors.” Intrigue Writer

“

KENNY MOSS / ASST. PHOTO EDITOR

Allison Miller, junior in interior design, started with a theme, then added personal touches to give her apartment personality.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

Thursday, January 29, 2015

RAs dish on how to deal with di fficult roommates

Rachel Sprouse

Assistant Online Editor

For some people, a roommate is a best friend they live with. For others, it’s a person they share a living space with until the end of the academic year. No matter the situation, it’s common for roommates to disagree. “Typically, it’s a mind thing,” said Michael Merritt, resident assistant of three years and senior in health administration. “(Roommates) just automatically assume that (the other person) won’t understand what they’re trying to say so they say very little. There’s a lot of back and forth, like, ‘You always get mad when I do this.’” According to Earl Myers, RA of three years and senior in psychology, most roommate disagreements occur because of issues with cleanliness.

“If my standard [of cleanliness] is higher than the next guy’s, then of course I’m going to be dissatisfied and that’s going to lead to a lot of conflict,” Myers said. “You have to find a nice balance between both residents.” Myers said another common conflict between roommates is disrupting each other’s sleep schedules. “The schedules of the two people will be totally different,” Myers said. “So, if one person wants to go out and party all night and the other one wants to go to bed by 10 p.m., the person who goes to bed early will find it a lot harder to share the same room.” Myers said disagreements occur because of a lack of communication. One way to resolve many roommate disagreements is to establish a roommate agreement, which can

help set boundaries. According to Merritt, random roommates are more communicative of their problems than roommates who are friends beforehand. “(Random roommates) don’t know what to expect so they’re very open to things,” Merritt said. “They’re also less afraid of saying, ‘Hey, I really don’t like it when people do this,’ and the other roommate is like, ‘Yes, totally. I can totally not do that.’” Another tip is to find an unbiased mediator to be present when discussing a roommate disagreement. “Try not to get your friends because they’re obviously going to side with you over the other person,” said Maya Hackett, RA at Cambridge and junior in media studies. “If (you choose) someone who’s friends with both of you, it can feel like a wedge

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY ENFINGER / PHOTO EDITOR

Different standards and personality clashes can cause tense roommate situations.

in the friendship, because eventually it may feel as if someone will have to choose a side.” When dealing with a difficult roommate in the dorms, Myers said don’t be afraid to talk to an RA. “Unless you have a resident with some strong counselor vibes, it’s re-

ally hard to get four 18-year-olds to sit down and have a calm conversation,” Myers said. “If they all sit down and have one mediator, someone who’s neutral, to talk and mitigate the situation, it can be handled in a safe, peaceful and effective way.”

Shorter walks beat bigger spaces David McKinney sports@ theplainsman.com

David McKinney

Assistant Sports Editor

Nine hundred feet. From my front door to the front door of RBD library, it’s exactly 900 feet. A rock thrown from my window would land on RBD’s front lawn. From my old window, a window at Copper Beech townhomes on Shelton Mill Road, a rock thrown out of my window would probably have just hit my car. Copper Beech, like so many other far-off-campus apartments, is a big complex with large townhomes and spacious rooms, but being this close to campus is invaluable. After a long night of studying, a 900-foot walk looks a lot better than

a 10-minute drive. Speaking of driving, my house’s closeness to campus means my car pretty much stays put. Gas prices might have dropped, but my wallet is much heavier now than it ever was at Copper Beech. Not only has my wallet benefited from the change, but so has my sleep schedule. The 10-minute drive from Copper Beech required me to get up approximately 15 minutes earlier than normal. Sleep and money are two things many college students lack, but living near campus has definitely made a change for me in both of those areas. A student should live as close as they can to campus, but campus isn’t the only thing close to my house. Downtown Auburn is also just a short walk away. Understandably, people see the allure of the bigger apartments, but on weekends spent downtown, driving

home could land them in jail. Of course, there are other ways to get home. The transit system is a reliable option, but the options pretty much run out there. Taxis can be costly, and Uber, a cheaper alternative to taxis, suspended their services in Auburn. It’s better to walk home from the bar than to drive. I suppose it comes down to preference, but, for me at least, the many benefits of living close to campus far outweigh the few of living far away. I can be anywhere I need to be on campus or around town within 10 minutes, my sleep schedule has grown and my wallet has taken a significantly smaller hit. For a college kid, you really can’t beat that. David McKinney is the assistant sports editor at The Plainsman. He can be reached at sports@theplainsman.com.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

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The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

For Auburn natives, college S U P M A C F F living stays close to home O NG

Kyle Nazario Intrigue Editor

When Lucy Banks, freshman in psychology, moved off campus, she said she did it to enjoy her freedom and live with her boyfriend at the time. “I really liked having whoever I wanted come over whenever I wanted,” Banks said. Banks said she lived on West Glenn Avenue, a five-minute drive down the road from her parents. Banks, who grew up in Auburn, now lives with her parents, citing a better environment for her cat, Theia, money and a greater focus on her schoolwork. “When I lived by myself, I wanted to party a lot,” Banks said. “(My mother) keeps me in check, but gives me my space.” Banks is one native Auburn resident who chose to attend the town’s university while still living at home. Corey Spicer, senior in interdisciplinary studies, said he doesn’t mind going to college in the same town

where he grew up. “I always tell (people), when you graduate Auburn High School, you know Auburn in one sense, but when you go to Auburn University, it feels like a whole different town,” Spicer said. Spicer lives in a townhouse his parents bought for his older brother, who also attended Auburn University. He said he pays rent to his parents, who are “super reasonable” about costs, rolling rent and utilities into one bill. “I’m super thankful for that,” Spicer said. Nathan Coker, senior in fine arts, said he lives in his parents’ Auburn home to save money for graduation. Coker said he wants to save at least six months’ worth of rent before moving out. “Until I graduate, I’m just trying to focus on school and not paying the bills,” Coker said. “The benefits are so good with the financial situation I’m in, I can’t argue with the downsides.”

Coker said the biggest downside for him, as a musician, is not being able to play guitar late at night — though he said that restriction is “really not that bad.” Banks said she also lives with restrictions in her parents’ home, mostly about who she can invite over and at what times. However, Banks said she appreciates living rent-free and somewhere that will also let her keep her cat. Banks said she plans to move out later this year to somewhere with a yard for the dog she said she plans to own. She said her mother has started encouraging her to look into moving out. “She didn’t want me to move out, but now that I’ve moved back in, she’s asking me to go look at apartments,” Banks said. Coker, who said he also plans to move out after graduation, said he wishes more people knew about the benefits of living at home. “It’s not a big deal,” Coker said. “It’s actually a huge convenience.”

EMILY ENFINGER / PHOTO EDITOR

Lucy Banks, pictured at home, lives with her parents. Despite some restrictions, Banks said she enjoys living rent-free.

I S U O H

FAIR

Explore off-campus residence options. Tuesday, February 10, 2015 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. 2nd Floor Lobby, Student Center

For more information go to offcampushousing.auburn.edu

Downtown living raises the bar

Sam Butler Sports Writer

With plenty of options for off-campus student housing in Auburn, it can be tough to decide on a place to live, especially since the number of choices can sometimes be overwhelming. Some places offer quick Tiger Transit routes, some include more enjoyable amenities, such as clubhouses or pools, and some offer lower rates. Since Auburn is a college town, a few housing options feature one aspect some college students are receptive to: being situated closer to downtown. Downtown apartments offer more options for nighttime entertainment and dining, an easier commute to classes and a prime position to reach Toomer’s Corner on game days for tailgating. Wright Draper, freshman in business and fi-

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

nance, lives at Two 21 Armstrong and said he strongly recommends living close to the downtown area. “I would definitely live there,” Draper said. “If you want to go to the bars, it’s really convenient, and it’s not too close to where it would be too noisy.” Draper also said on the days where someone might not want to go to the bars, Two 21 Armstrong has a good balance of location and privacy. “It’s honestly not that bad,” Draper said. “Sometimes if you’re right outside in the courtyard, you can kind of hear the band playing, but it’s really not that bad as far as noise.” Another resident of Two 21 Armstrong, Reid Holt, freshman in mechanical engineering, echoed the sentiment. Holt said his experience living there is generally positive. “I enjoy it a lot,” Holt said. “It’s a short dis-

Thursday, January 29, 2015

“

Not even just going out at night, but being near campus and downtown and all the restaurants and stuff like that, the location is what made me want to live there.” —Luke Inglis

Lives above anders book store

tance to the bars, it’s a short distance to class, with all the luxuries of living in an apartment.” There are students who choose not to go to the bars, but Holt said there are advantages to living downtown that don’t include visiting the bars. While living downtown offers many advan-

tages, there are still downsides to living off campus. Luke Inglis, senior in history, lives in one of the aparments above Anders Book Store on Magnolia Avenue, situated in the downtown area. Inglis said there are times when he can’t go out. Sometimes, those happen to be nights with heavy bar traffic. “(I) only really (have issues) on Wednesday nights,” Inglis said. “If I have a test or something, I have to walk to the library.” However, even with that drawback, Inglis said he loves where he lives. According to Inglis, he chose where he lives because of its location. “Not even just going out at night, but being near campus and downtown and all the restaurants and stuff like that, the location is what made me want to live there,” Inglis said.

EMILY ENFINGER / PHOTO EDITOR

Apartments in locations such as Anders Book Store (top) allow students to live near the downtown area.

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

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The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

REVAMP YOUR ROOM Looking for a way to spice up your living space? Take a look at some of these cool accessories available around Auburn for redecoration inspiration.

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Decorative Bowl $30 Auburn Art Compiled by Maddie Yerant, managing editor

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

Decluttering makes for spring cleaning every season Lauren Christopher sports writer

Students everywhere know the drill. They return home from a long day of classes and head straight for bed, throwing their backpacks wherever they land. Or, if they’re more of the busy type, they hurry back home to change clothes and get ready, leaving everything else in a pile of clothes and assignments. Many students only have one small room to call their own, and if they’re on campus, it’s even smaller. The lack of space makes it nearly impossible not to make a mess. A large part of this problem is students bringing excessive belongings when they move in, according to Virginia Koch, director of residence life. Koch said the best advice she can give to incoming students is to talk with their roommates ahead of time to prevent bringing duplicates. To avoid this issue, Koch said students can

check the housing website to see what they need to bring by using their packing list, and, from there, they can divide the list among each other. Koch said old keepsakes, such as high school T-shirts, will also become clutter. “(Students) are going to end up putting them in the bottom of (their) drawers,” Koch said. Koch also said it is best for students to take what they don’t need back home during breaks to eliminate clutter. Audri Larson, former Auburn resident assistant, said many of her residents were creative with the use of their space. “I saw many residents with bookshelves behind their beds or bookshelves on their desks, and that was a great use of space that de-cluttered the room a bit,” Larson said. Madison Lupica, sophomore in music, said she recently re-organized her kitchen and living room at Logan Square by eliminating unnecessary items that collected over time.

photo illustration by Kenny moss / assistant PHOTO EDITOR

Former resident assistant Audri Larson said her residents were creative in storing their belongings.

“Take five, 10 minutes out of your day to pick some clothes up off the floor, (and) put

Is one really the loneliest number?

“

Students weigh in on living alone or with roommates Tracy Awino

Campus Reporter

In a college living situation, students may assume having roommates is the best — and only — choice. However, living alone is always an option. “If you have a roommate, you have one, and if you don’t, you don’t,” said Nicholas Bowman, senior in mechanical engineering. “You get used to it either way.” Bowman said he has experienced both living with a roommate and without one. Sharing a room with another person can lead to compromise, but also leads to more opportunities for socializing, according to Bowman. Jamie Quirk, freshman in business, said she enjoys having a roommate because it has made her more consciencious.

In the past, every time I had a choice, I chose to live with a roommate.” —Nicholas Bowman

senior in mechanical engineering

“My roommate and I don’t really keep the room messy, but [living with a roommate] definitely taught me to clean up after myself,” Quirk said. Quirk said her roommate experience has been positive, and when time comes again to make a decision, she will live with a roommate again. “Living with a roommate can be good,” said Joe Butts, sophomore in wireless engineering. “It just depends on the roommate.” Because of different outlooks,

Butts said it can be a less pleasant experience to live with a roommate. He said misunderstanding is a factor that can affect the decision to live with a roommate, especially in a shared space. Having a roommate is not a matter of liking the person, but how well the roommates are able to come to an understanding, according to Butts. Butts said he finds it easier to study and focus without a roommate. He said having his own space allows him the freedom to enjoy his alone time. Butts said he enjoys living alone and would do it again. Bowman said he doesn’t see a difference between the two, but still prefers having a roommate. “In the past, every time I had a choice, I chose to live with a roommate,” Bowman said.

your shoes away,” Lupica said. “It’s literally that easy — just one little part every day.”

The Auburn Plainsman: Auburn Housing

Thursday, January 29, 2015

Tips for keeping things tidy, even in small spaces Emily Esleck Online Editor

Keeping a bedroom organized is key to a functional living space. If there isn’t a specific place for certain items, the room will quickly become a jumbled pigsty full of odds and ends. To avoid that problem, there are ways to organize that tailor to someone’s lifestyle. Grace Harrison, junior in interior design, said the functionality of a room depends on how it’s organized. “Interior design is combining function with form,” Harrison said. “If a space doesn’t have organization, you can’t actually use it. Even the messiest person has some sort of system of where they throw things.” Organizing a room can take time and work, but there are a few ideas to make it easier. Harrison said her roommates recently purchased an over-the-door pantry organizer. It has 5-inch-deep, adjustable wire shelves that can be used to store an assortment of items

from makeup to food. Harrison also said clear plastic stackable drawers could help store clothes, especially in a dorm, where one doesn’t don’t have much closet or dresser storage. Hayley Hughes, sophomore in interior design, said being in interior design has made her more organized. “Definitely labeling where you put things would be helpful, or keeping a list of where exactly you put things … rather than searching for something everywhere, you can just refer to the list,” Hughes said. Many people have a desk in their room to do schoolwork, but usually it turns into a place piled high with junk. To keep a desk neat, Hughes said she recommends using a shower caddy and hanging it on the wall space above the desk to store school supplies. Trace Matthews, junior in biomedical sciences and dentistry, keeps his schoolwork or-

ganized in bins under his bed instead of at his desk. “They’re just really long, rectangular, thin boxes that slide out from under my bed, and I put everything in there and slide it back under,” Matthews said. “That’s one thing that’s helped me.” Harrison said one of her friends used an extra shower rod toward the back of the shower to hang baskets that stored shower supplies. This way, everyone using the bathroom had their own space to put their soap without cluttering the sides of the bathtub. Jewelry can get tangled up in a huge mess, but organizational trays in drawers can help fix the problem. “Always think about how you’re actually going to use something,” Harrison said. “The basis of all successful design is functionality. The best design, in my opinion, is one that meets your functional needs and doesn’t over-clutter.”

Students stay safe in Auburn Pierce Oswalt

Community Writer

The majority of Auburn students enjoy the perks of living in local off-campus housing. Several factors go into choosing where to live off-campus — safety among them. However, shootings at Tiger Lodge over the past two years have some students questioning the safety of their surrounding area. Despite these events, the city of Auburn has had decreases in many crime rate categories, according to Auburn Police Chief Paul Register. “From an overall standpoint, our crime rates are down of the last several years, including 2014,” Register said. “We were down in the number of burglaries we had and down in thefts and down in several of our categories that we are concerned about.” Many off-campus locations, such

as Creekside, take measures to ensure a safe and secure environment for residents. Gates with clickers or coded entry, a front desk monitor, in-home security systems and security cameras are some safety precautions local housing options provide. “Each unit has its own security system with different pin numbers for each resident,” said Jessica Lucio, leasing manager at Creekside. “We also have an on-site security guard that sits up at the gate and monitors those driving through throughout the night, and we are also a gated community.” One college-rating service, Niche. com, uses student opinions and reviews of the area by site users to rate the many categories on the webpage. Auburn received a grade of “A” by the users in the website’s health and safety category. “The off-campus housing around

town is very safe,” said Bill James, director of public safety for the city of Auburn. “The stats for thefts and burglaries and those type (of) instances have been going down over the last few years.” Burglaries have decreased by 17 percent from 2013-14, according to Register. However, there are still many security concerns individuals for which must remain accountable. “To some degree, we are all responsible for our own security,” said Tim Andrews, owner and manager of the Auburn-Opelika Apartment Guide. “Lock your doors, walk in groups and just be aware of your surroundings.” According to Register, students should feel comfortable in Auburn. “I think that if you look at Auburn in comparison to other cities of its size and even other cities in the state, I think we are one of the safest cities anywhere,” Register said.

EMILY ENFINGER / PHOTO EDITOR

Clear trays placed in drawers can help keep jewelry organized and untangled.

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