THETUFTS DAILY Volume XL, Number 10 we You Read It First Monday, February 7,2000 I 1J:niversity creates office to help with off=campushousing by €MCHELRUBENSON “There is a very direct link be- Daily Editorial Board tween the goals of the student !n an effort to aid students with service project and the creation of the aduous process of securing the Office. It’s an extension ofthe housing fortheirjunior and senior same principles,” Smith- years, the administration is insti- McQueenie concurred.“I believe tuting iin Office of Off-Campus that the administrationwould like Housing. The office, which is part to make the Tufts experience a ofthe administrative movement to good one, and these are all part of improve services offered to stu- meeting that goal ...We’re excited dents that began with the con- about this. We think it’s going to structicm of Dowling Hall, will be be very great and very helpful to located in South Hall and will work the students, and we hope this closely with the Residential Life shows that Tufts cares,” she said. office. Erin Butler, a sophomore, un- lrhe office will cater to both derwent the process of finding undergraduate and graduate stu- off-campus housing last fall and dents and hopes to solicit local found it to be extremely frustrat- landlords to create a listing of ing. “It’s difficult because there’s apartments available for rent. It a lot of people in line to look at a will also offer programs on tenant house and there’s a lot of compe- rights and how to read and under- tition. In my house, there are five ex, which comes as part of a larger stand a lease, will give students other people, and the only reason advice on how to avoid bad or why we got the house is because discriminatory landlords, and will we had connections,” she said. helpmatch up potential roommates. “There are not many [houses] According to Lisa Smith- available, and people hold on to McQueenie, Associate Dean of them from junior to senior year. departments and help them schedule appointments with administrators. Student Life, the office was cre- Some of them are pretty expen- The reengineering will have a broad impact on students, as many changes are being made in ated because the administration sive, so trying to find a house on advising, career services, and the registration process.The physical features of the building are wanted to ease the burden the lack a college-studentbudget is pretty designed to make services more accessible to students, and technological improvements that have of on-campus housing places on difficult too.” occurred simultaneously with the construction of Dowlhg will give added convenience to both students. ‘Tufts would like to ex- Senior Scott Pullman seemed students and faculty. tend it$ assistance to those stu- pleased at the prospect of the dents viho need help finding a University providingan Off- Cam- For more information, please turn to the student services spread on pages 4 and 5. pldce tu live. We want to help pus Housing Office despite the students negotiate the maze of -Rachel Rubenson finding a place to live,” she said. see HOUSING, page 13 Assistant Director of Residen- tial Life Bob Clarkcommentedthat, although the director of the new Senators discuss possibility of ice rink office will not serve as areal estate proposal is expected to hit the prevent the rink’s completion. an exhibition game there. It would broker, the office will be able to by JACOB SUERBERG Daily Editorial Board Senate floor in coming weeks. “An “It seems like it is getting a little add to the social and school spirit offer students a wealth of informa- The TCU Senate is considering idea was put to us to construct a warmer now and I would hate to put aspect of what we’ve been trying tion to make house-hunting easier. constructing ice skatingrink on small ice rink on the residential a big puddle on the quad. Weather to do this year,” he said. “It a resource for students. It an is the residential quad this winter. quad forthe wintermonths, some- isgoingto be abig factor for whether The prospect of playing home helps students with the sometimes The rink, which would be modeled thing that won’t cost too much it goes in this year or next year,” he exhibition games is veryappealing difficult process of finding an after the Frog Pond open air rink and will be an attraction for a lot of said. “Reluctance and the speed of to Drew Carleton, left-wing and cap apartment,and it is kind ofaclear- on Boston Common, would be different students,” said TCU Sen- compliance ofthe administration is tain of the men’s ice hockey team. inghouae of information,” he said. used by students for leisure skat- ate President Larry Harris. going to be a big factor in whether “Depending on the size, the team Recently, a link was added to ing and would possibly allow the Time isoftheutmostimportance it goes up this year.” would probably love that. 1 know the Residential Life web page to hockey team to play home exhibi- for the rink, the outdoor facility Harris hopesthattherink would people enjoy getting out a public offer students information on off- as tion games. will be heavily dependent on the increase school unity by bringing rink and skatingaround.Certainly campus housing. The page is not Currently, the skatingrink idea cold weather. Harris hopes that the students together to watch hockey ifthere wasone here I think, people a listing service, but does offer has only been discussed by the rink would be able to open this win- games.“Thereisapossibility,ifwe would do that,” he said. advice to students on how to look Senate Executive board, but the ter, but administrative delays may do therinkright,thatthey woulddo Residents of both Miller and for an apartment and answers Houston Halls are enthusiastic many frequently asked questions aboutthe rink. SophomoreKimbal about leasing. Hall, who lives in Houston, thinks The Dean of Students’ Office is thattheconstruction ofarink would currently working out the particu- make living uphill moredesirable. lars ofthe project and is hoping to “I think that would be pretty cool. begin the process of hiring a staff Itwouldprobably beabadthingto soon. The office will be staffed by take up the whole entire quad, but one director and several student it sounds like a good idea to me,” workers, and Smith-McQueenie he said. hopes that it will be open by the “All the high schools in An- end of the semester. “This office chorage have their own ice skat- has beer1 working with Residential ing rinks. It’s kind of overrated Lifetogetallofthatin placesowe though,” said Jason Meier, a can get it all up and running in a sophomore from Alaska. couple months,” she said. “It’s Weather reports indicate that no really been a group-think around majorwatm-upsarein sight, increas- how this should be put together in ing the chances for the rink’s con- order to best serve the students.” structionthiswinter. Hugeamounts Although Residential Life and of arctic air have been building in the Office ofoff-Campus Housing Canada and some forecasters think willnotbelocatedin DowlingHall, that air will come toward Boston. both Clarkand Smith-McQueenie Harris feelsthattherinkcould be feel chat the creation ofthe Office an important part of his legacy on and the construction ofthe build- the Tufts campus. “When I gradu- ing arerelated in concept. “They’re ateI’mgoingtosay ‘I’mproudthat looking at providing services to we had the chance to focus on some students, and this is an additional Photo by Daniel Rodngues of the things other Senates didn’t service that the student service Students who enjoy frolicking in the snow may be provided with another winter activity, as the get around to.’ This is just another department is looking to provide,” addition to that,” he said. Clarksaid. Senate is debating building a skating rink on the residential quad. 2 THETUFTS DAILY February 7,2000 The Dai/y Weather Forecast Tomorrow Today I Tonight I E IRA suggests issues can Mostly cloudy, flurries, breezy Early flurries, clearing, colder Colder be solved High: 38 Low: 15 High: 28 LONDON -AsNorthern Ireland’s politicians scrambled Satur- day to save the province’s two-month-old, power-sharing govern- Fluctuating temperatures will be the weather highlightthis week, as we go alternate ment, the Irish Republican Army issued a mildly positive statement between an arctic flow of air and a milder Pacific flow from each day to the next. about its plans for disarmament. Each temperature change may be preceded by a snow shower, but that shouldn’t In an issued statement, the secretive paramilitary group said the last too long. There is a chance of steadier precipitation, although it may be too raging dispute about disarmament, which has prompted Protestants warm for snow, by the end of the week. Check back tomorrow for more info on that. to threaten to withdraw from the new government- formed with In the meantime, try to get some sleep. This weatherman is exhausted, and I suspect Catholics, “can be resolved.” that the Daily grind (sorry for the pun there) is getting to you folks too. Jeez, this “We recognize that the issue of arms needs to be dealt with in an weather report is beginning to sound like it was written by my mother... acceptable way and this is a necessary objective ofa genuihe peace - Weather forecast by Daily Editor Andrew Freedman process,” the statement said. The IRAdidnotcommitto handin weaponsataspecifictime. But the statement went further than other recent declarations.