University of California Berkeley - Blue and Gold Yearbook (Berkeley, CA)

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W l Pn dCVrtl OOd ' ts vmi down .md the costs ol living in .in apdrtmeiit st irt to spiral upwards unaintrollabl v, the solution is obvious: move into a co-op. The University Students ' Cooperative Association (USCA) is made up of fifteen houses and three apartment complexes in the campus vicinity and houses over 1200 university students. Started in February 1993, the student housing cooperative at Cal is based on the Rochdale Principles. The Principles call for voluntary membership, democratic social affairs, shared capital, equal distribution and provisions for the odiication of members. ♦ Members are only required tt) pay around $1700 per semester for room, hoard and meals. The USCA is able to keep costs so low by requiring workshifts from all co-op members. In most houses, five hours of workshifts pe r week are required, ranging from meal preparation to gardening to cleaning bathrt)oms. Several levels of management are in effect in each house: the house manager, kitchen manager, workshift manager, finance manager cooperative and main- t e n a n c e managers all keep opera- tions run- ning smoothl)-. In addition, the Central Office, located at Casa Zimbabwe, acts as an administrative bodv for the entire co-op system. ♦ Some of the larger houses, like Cloyne, Chateau, and Casa Zimbabwe are notorious for their intcrestingf!) parties and virtual lack of clean spaces. The frequency of social events and the actual amount of time devoted to maintaining the cleanliness of each co-op are all decided by the members of the particular house. Some, like the all-female Hoyt Hall and the tinv Euclid Hall, are much quieter and cleaner, but don ' t necessarily guarantee members an active social life. Specialty houses, like the all-vegetarian Lothlorien, and apartment complexes, like Rochdale Village, offer students an alternative to the tra- tional cohahitatlon o p struc- ture. ♦ Speaking of his co-op experience, Ridge House resident trie Hall com- mented, It ' s a cheaper wav to live within a student communitv. Although we have all the social benefits of living in a dorm, we also have larger rooms and fewer rules. By offering students a more liberal atmosphere in which to live than is provided by dorms and other campus housing, the USCA is guaranteed a steady How of students into the system. A point system allows residents who have lived in a particular house for a period priority during room selection at the beginning of the fall semester. The close-knit atmosphere lets students get to know one another in a unique wav. Since our co-op is our home, said Hall, we all have to share in the household responsibilities which gives us the opportunity to learn a lot about one another. I ' ve met a lot of my good friends in co-ops. Lj. MciriCl Ch H VP7 Studeitt Life ♦ 26

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GOim up? Elevators were a blessing for those residents of the units, es- pecially those living on the 3rd floor and up. A halloween hoe- down is iminent for these Foothill residents as they prepare by getting dressed up and into char- acter. Hun III provides d perfect backdrop to take a quick study break be- fore heading to class. : apiST i i [lY MWfffi ' trf. -. Dorm Life ♦ 25

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Vt)Klv ' Sl?I :TS are an integral part of co-op life. This Fenwick resident retreatsbacktohis apart- ment after hoeing the front garden. Cnashim omuecom- munitN ' sofas is all too common for some resi- dents as they can ' t seem to make it to their respec- tive bedrooms. use A Office .snot onl V the headquarters for all those living in the co- ops, but is also the infa- mous Casa Zimbabwe. Co-op Life ♦27