Nervous excitement filled Dagget Lounge last night as the 2010-2011 Quints and Quads housing lottery took place. The Office of Residential Life announced 60 available beds for the 85 students registered for quints and 267 beds available for the 367 students registered quads.
Stowe Inn was quickly filled in the quints lottery causing many quint blocks with unfavorable numbers to leave the lottery, their hopes of living there dashed.
The quad lottery soon followed and while in past years Chamberlain Hall quads, known for their spacious common rooms and private bathrooms, were the first to go, many students bypassed these rooms in favor of Coles Tower and Harpswell Apartments.
Bo Wang '11, a member of the block with the first pick, said his group's choice to live in the Tower instead of Chamberlain Hall was based on experience.
"Well, two of us have lived in Chambo before and we think the atmosphere was sterile," said Wang. "The tower is a lot cozier and we live there now and like it a lot."
The block with the second, fourth, sixth and seventh picks all decided on housing other than Chamberlain Hall. Within the first 20 picks, however, Chamberlain and Cleveland Street Apartments were the first to be filled.
As the lottery continued many senior blocks opted to live in Harpswell Apartments, leaving the Tower free for many mixed-class blocks. Students who had lower numbers milled around Thorne Hall waiting for their turn to pick. Some, like Yoni Ackerman '11 who had the 44th pick, felt frustrated by the lottery system.
"I got so screwed," said Ackerman. "I'm living with three sophomores because all of my friends ditched me. I'm trying to live in the Tower but it's probably not going to happen. There are always the carrels in the library—they are pretty spacious."
Soon after Ackerman secured a spot on the third floor of Coles Tower, the last Tower room was taken by the 47th lottery pick.
Pine Street Apartments, which was the last housing taken, was filled by the 59th pick, ending the lottery and leaving 100 students to enter the triples, doubles and singles lotteries.
Associate Director of Housing Operations Lisa Rendall discussed the very different housing preferences expressed this year compared to years past.
"There were 100 [fewer] kids registered for quads this year compared to last year," said Rendall. "We had 35 more kids register for the quints lottery."
Director of Residential Life Mary Pat McMahon commented on the relative popularity of different residence halls.
"Coles Tower was very popular," said McMahon. "I heard a lot of kids talking about the importance of central location."
As for students left out of the quads and quints lotteries, Rendall offered suggestions for how to succeed in the upcoming triples and doubles lotteries.
Rendall said that students who did not get quads should invite two friends to make a block of six with them and try the triples lottery.
"If that doesn't pan out, go into the doubles lottery as a block of six as well," she said.
Both McMahon and Rendall are not worried, however, about any sort of housing shortage.
"We definitely have beds for everyone," said McMahon.