University of South Carolina Libraries
* p? - > ? Thursday, September 8, 1977 University of South Carolina, Columbia, S.C. Volume LXIY No. 2 [ . . ? New bull to be lea fas dormi By LYN 1SBELL | Gamecock Staff Writer Kv, USC Housing officials are seeking ways to I prevent a student housing shortage next |? year by converting university buildings into I; dormitories and by leasing new buildings. >* "Ten years ago, we would have built more 1 dormitories," said Robert A. Stewart, director of Business Affairs at the Office of 1 Residential Life Services. "But, the projection of college students," he said, "is 1 decreasing and this has to be considered | before building more dormitories." St IN CONSTRUCTING A new building, the I'i university also assumes a 40-year mortgage. El; "We can now carry a debt service of about $14 f million a year," Stewart said. Several years !, ago, he explained, the university decided that t additional dormitories would not be built. 1 However, university officials are reviewing that decision because of an increase of 0 students waiting for on-campus housing. ' "Over 1,000 names have been added to the ![ waiting list this year," said Stewart. To solve i the immediate need for housing, he said, the housing office is trying to shorten the waiting list, and as cancellations come in, the office [ assigns rooms to those on the list. Each year, i a number of students don't return to school \ and don't tell the university of their ini' tentions. Beginning on the second day of ' classes, the residential staff checks lists of 0 occupied rooms, then assigns vacant spaces to those waiting. In addition, the Residential I.if#? Sprvir*#><; Office has made arrangements with several I local hotels to house students at special rates, if \ The Wade Hampton, the Downtowner and the I1: Capital Cabana will participate in the project. j|, TIIK YMCA is also occupied by students, yft and local church families have been asked to l! >* i Steps to i ? f T Hy 1>ANNY POWELL Gamecock Staff Writer USC has taken many steps to conserve en running short of fuel in order to prevent campus this year, Harold Brunton, vie u . miuio, s?iu. ut Dr. Paul Ix>vingood, of the Department said the winter of 1978 should again be colde W the Columbia area. o LOVINGOOD SAID South Carolina is local | coldness of the artic and the warmth of the t J1, this causes both unusually cold and warm m According to Brunton, an energy ta dings sed tories offer any spare rooms in their homes. "We hope to work in the same sort of tie with the admissions process where students r\ ha inf arrvi n/^ mnph norlinr o Kai if fhn aiv iiiiwi iiivu inuv.ia uuvui 111c likelihood of their getting housing," Stewart said. Because the demand for housing among married couples is declining, the University Terrace Apartments Complex, ordinarily occupied by married couples, is already being used by single students. Furthermore, some fraternities may move to Wheeler Hill. Should that occur, McBryde could become dormitory space. Other universities with similar housing nrnblems have restricted thoir rinrmitnrv space to out-of-town students or have adopted a lottery system for choosing dormitory residents. "It's difficult to draw lines in restricting students, and it isn't a fair system. In-town residents pay the same taxes," Stewart said. "As for the lottery system, no one likes the idea. I can't see working to make dormitory life a pleasant atmosphere for study and then turning some students away. It works against everything we're truinfl ta Ha h " J ?"fc> v*v' ItKilAltl) WEKTZ, vice president of Residential Life Services, said finding offcampus housing isn't difficult. However, to aid in this, residential life has compiled an apartment hunter's guide, which lists vacancies. "It's a pretty good pool of available accommodations," Wertz said. In locating off-campus housing, the office considers location, whether or not the student has a car, whether or not he wants a lease and the amount he wishes to pay. According to Wertz, the office handles about three or four students each hour. About 700 students found off-cainpus housing through the office this year, he said. conserve ei established nine months ago tc energy uses. The task force is \ solar energy atop the physic, icrgy and avoid panels would be placed on top i the closing of energy needed to heat the wa :e-president of and cooling systems. Bruntoi completed within a year. of Geography, Natural gas, the fuel USC po r than usual for supply last winter. South Cai a c* Lr iul \ttna\r\i Ui?i\vv4 nvuvy UOVI O *JI 11 fit 111 <11 university complied with the rc ted between the also in short supply. USC h ropics. He said because of the shortgage. winters. sk force was BKUNTON SAID if a natur. Hot job Work is work, but USC maintenance man 1 > with a pair of sunglasses and a large straw I nergy taken < i study and explore different year, the university >reparing a demonstration of New storage tank al education center. Solar bought last spring a of the center to generate the oil truck to refill the ter system and run heating 1 said the project would be Brunton said cons the university from save at least one m wer plants use, was in short year by reducing olina Electric and Gas Co. evening. gas to switch to oil. The squest and found that oil was Conversion to co* ad to close for two weeks campus power plai design. Only one | process is difficult al gas shortage occurs this required for the bu % M n m _ i __ a b t iviuriiiaii ivioye manes me joo easier lat. at USC will be better equipped to convert to oil. s with a 300,000 gallon capacity were nd will be ready to use this winter. An tanks has also been purchased. ervation will be a key factor in keeping closing again. He said USC hopes to illion dollars on the energy budget this heating and cooling services in the il is not practical said Brunton. Most nts cannot use coal because of their slant can be converted to coal by the because of the large storage space Iky fuel. 4