2008 Woodie Awards
Ill student falls through housing's cracks
Rinehart confident in reduced enrollment next year to ease housing crisis
Joseph Gentile
Issue date: 11/8/07 Section: News
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While sophomore Alex Butta casually lounged in a folding chair, the florescent light in his Midrise suite bounced off his smoothly shaved head. The intimidating pirate flag hanging on the wall behind him could not compare to the eight-inch scar beginning at his left temple and ending at the base of his skull.
"During the winter break of last year, I had a routine checkup with my doctor and they found that my brain tumor had grown to the size of a lemon, and that I needed to get immediate surgery," Butta said. "It would have lasted the entire month of January, at least, and because of that my doctors decided that I should not come back to Marist that semester, to just take it off."
Scratching at the fine bristles of hair poking through his scalp, a smile spread across his face. "In the end, it was for the best, because I had to get radiation and chemo," he said. "It's annoying," he added with a laugh.
Despite the fact that Butta is living in Midrise dormitory among other sophomores, he technically refers to himself as a second-year freshman. Fortunately for him though, at Marist College, the Department of Housing and Residential Life guarantees on-campus housing for all resident freshmen and sophomores. Or so he thought.
In the 2006-07 academic year, Butta's freshmen year, the college admitted about 1,100 applicants. Prior to that year, though, it only admitted 975 freshmen - a difference of 125 more resident students. Consequently, during the 2006-07 academic year, the Department of Housing and Residential Life had to place resident sophomores in housing typically reserved for upperclassmen, such as the Foy and New townhouses.
This year, the college scaled back the number of admitted applicants to 1,038. Still, that number is above 1,000, resulting in an imbalance of resident students and available housing.
"When they were saying on-campus housing, I was pretty much expecting maybe the worst of the freshmen dorms or something like that," Butta said. "But, of course, they never have leftovers."
"During the winter break of last year, I had a routine checkup with my doctor and they found that my brain tumor had grown to the size of a lemon, and that I needed to get immediate surgery," Butta said. "It would have lasted the entire month of January, at least, and because of that my doctors decided that I should not come back to Marist that semester, to just take it off."
Scratching at the fine bristles of hair poking through his scalp, a smile spread across his face. "In the end, it was for the best, because I had to get radiation and chemo," he said. "It's annoying," he added with a laugh.
Despite the fact that Butta is living in Midrise dormitory among other sophomores, he technically refers to himself as a second-year freshman. Fortunately for him though, at Marist College, the Department of Housing and Residential Life guarantees on-campus housing for all resident freshmen and sophomores. Or so he thought.
In the 2006-07 academic year, Butta's freshmen year, the college admitted about 1,100 applicants. Prior to that year, though, it only admitted 975 freshmen - a difference of 125 more resident students. Consequently, during the 2006-07 academic year, the Department of Housing and Residential Life had to place resident sophomores in housing typically reserved for upperclassmen, such as the Foy and New townhouses.
This year, the college scaled back the number of admitted applicants to 1,038. Still, that number is above 1,000, resulting in an imbalance of resident students and available housing.
"When they were saying on-campus housing, I was pretty much expecting maybe the worst of the freshmen dorms or something like that," Butta said. "But, of course, they never have leftovers."
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