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

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i With the luxiuries of living independent came the pains of responsibility After spending their first year in the residence halls, most students are eager to move out on their own and live in an apartment. The greatest obstacle to this move is actually finding an apartment. With a large demand for apartments around campus, and scarce numbers of avail- able rentals, it is extremely difficult to find the ideal living space: one at reasonable rent and close proximity to campus, as well as aesthetically pleasing. Moststudentsbegin their apartment hunt at the Com- munity Housing Office which is affiliated with University Housing and Dining. The office serves students and fac- ulty by posting apartment listings. While the service is free, the competition for these apartments is fierce, as many students and faculty alike seek out the same list- ings. Students often look to outside rental services such as Homefinders or Rental Solutions to ease the frustrations of apartment hunting. For $65, Homefinders provides daily listings of apartments for rent, and for a fee equal to half of the first month ' s rent, Rental Solutions handles the entire process of searching and obtaining an apartment for their clients. Even when a suitable apartment has been found, the luxuries of living on one ' s own still has its costs. No longer do students have their mothers to clean their bedrooms and bathrooms, or the dining commons to cook their meals and clean the dishes. In addition to the added chores of housekeeping are the added utility expenses for phone, water and electricity. Paying the bills each month reminds students that along with the independence of living in an apartment, comes responsibility. Roommates share an apartment, living expenses and study ttme. A- ' y. m V

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University housing provides living situations that cater to ail lifestyles. Programs include everything from cross- cultural themes to a substance-free environment. living siruanon rli.u can also cater to specihc interests and indi idual preferences. DiHerent :iousini;sittiations include Shorb . a co-ed. upper di ision-stLident honse that accomodates 24; Smyth, a ten-room house that gives priority to re- entry students; and Manville Apartments, which are reserved lor law and graduate students. Freeborn, a building in L ' nit I, is designated as a Substance-Free Fn ironment run on the honor s ' stem and onlv accomodates students wishing to live in a community h-ee of smoke, alcohol, and drugs. The University also otters almost 1000 apartments for married and single- parent student families near campus. In addition to the dorms and houses, there are co- operative li ' in j situations in which students li ' e m a smaller dorm-like en ' ironment where they are responsible for their own cookmt; and cleaning. Co- ops that provide for individual preferences include ' egetarian, religious, and apartment-type living; situations. Foothill Iheresi dence halls I )vnun 1 b G r Compiled by Tom Lee 1 j Unit i 1 Unit ii Unit hi Clark Kerr Foothill Stern Date opened 1959 1960 1964 1959 1991 1942 Cost Walk time to Campanile Single $7250 Double $6650 Triple $6045 10 mm. Single $7250 Double $6650 Triple $6045 15 min. Single $7250 Double $6650 Triple $6045 10 mm. Single $7930 Double $7395 Triple $6795 20 mm. 4-8 per suite Single $8385 Double $7860 Triple $7265 8 mm. Single $7095 Double $6550 Suite $6810 8 mm. Average number of people 50 per tloor 30 per Hoor 50 per floor 4-8 per suite 4-8 per suite Total number of people 946 950 1146 791 751 242 Most recent renovation 1995 1996 1989 ongoing 1991 ongoing Theme pro- grams Number of main lounges African Amcnc.in, substance-free 4 transfer, upper- division and graduate students 4 Asi.in-P.iiitiL American, Casa M.igd.ilena Mora 5 none 4 none none 1 Gender of floors Co-ed and single sex Co-ed and single se. - Co-ed and smijle sex Co-ed and smglc sex Co-cd and women Bowles 1929 Quad $6500 8 niin. 30 per floor 195 ongoing ON-CAMPUS HOUSING 25

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As part 0 hii required jive hours oj housekeepin( work, a co-op resident cleans the kitchen. To enjoy the low cost of livini in a co-op, residents participated in housekeeping chores. Students cook themselves dinner in their apartment kitcheri. Living outside the dorms meant that students had the luxury ofhomecooked meals. Operative Effort Living together isn ' t always easy V Vith o ' er 1200 members, the Universit) ' Students ' Cooperatn ' e Association (USCA) IS the largest student housing co-op in North America. The USCA stresses democracy and cooperation through member ownership and operation. Student ownership IS exercised with the House Council, consist- ing ot either the entire house or apartment population or elected council members. Each house and apartment council discusses group ,md indn ' idual members ' concerns and elects vice managers to oversee aspects of co-op living. House members invest five hours weekly m either housekeeping, cooking, maintenance, clerical work, or sorting mail, while apartment uork shift requirements depend on the residents ' decisions, and range trom two to twelve hours per semester. The semester cost tor room and meals is only $ 1764 tor houses, and the semester cost tor room at apartments ranges trom $ 1048 to $2097, depending on location, apartment size, and number ot occupants. Amane Habib, a first semester Le Chateau resident, initially saw the co-ops as loud and dirt)-. ' Habib added, Some people take drugs to too much ot an extreme. Vet Marisa Vee telt the problem was overly exaggerated. I hear more about the drug problem trom the people who don ' t live here, Yee said. First-year co-op member Summer Breault recognized that visual aspects ot Le Chateau weren ' t ideal. It looks like a crack house or the inside of the men ' s bathroom, Breault commented. Despite the poor housekeeping conditions and drug problems, Breault emphasized that Le Chateau residents are some ot the nicest people Ive ever met m my lite-they ' re so welcoming, and sodu ' erse. Having 50 people with varied socioeco- nomic, cultural, religious backgrounds can spark conflict, but senior joe Madden has not witnessed any conflicts in his sta ' at Andres Castro Arms. And it problems do arise, Madden believes that m a house this size, even it you did have a conflict with someone. I don ' t think it would cause day-to-day problems. junior Suen Song believes that conflicts are a ' oided because cooperation and compromise are traits co-op residents usualK ' enter with. People who live here come in with an open mind, Son jsaid. In addition, the USCA otters numerous member services programs, such as a peer education program and a Majority Poli-Cultural Action Coali- tion (MPACT). which educates members regarding issues of race, class, gender, and sexuality, in order to foster healthier relations amons; co-op members. — Sharon Smith Phorai Inthgni Ching OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING 27