Move-out gets pushed back

In past years, Penn students have spent the last few days of spring term finals throwing random articles of clothing into cardboard boxes. But this year, the work of the student life committee of the Undergraduate Assembly will give Penn students an extra 24 hours to pack up at the close of the academic year. By working with the Office of College Houses and Academic Services and the Department of Housing and Conference Services, the UA has changed housing regulations to allow students to stay in the dorms until noon on the Sunday following finals. Usually, students have to vacate campus housing by noon the Saturday following finals. The UA originally requested that the move-out deadline be changed to noon the Monday following the conclusion of finals. Sunday was the final compromise. "We reason that by pushing the move-out date back a little bit, we'd give students a little bit more time to focus on their studies and pack up and move out when they're done with their exams," UA student life committee member Ryan Little said. The student life committee was acting in response to the common student complaint that the move-out date falls too close to the last day of finals. The committee ended up writing a proposal to summarize several changes the UA would like to see to on-campus housing procedures and the College House infrastructure in general. The committee met last week and last semester to discuss the move-out date with representatives of the Department of Housing and Conference Services and the Office of College Houses and Academic Services. At the fall semester meeting, the two University offices gave tentative approval for the change in move-out date, and formal approval was granted last week. The UA requested various reforms in the College House system besides the change in the move-out date. The proposal also requested the possible installation of a program with a charitable organization to collect students' discarded belongings during move-out. The proposal also included a request for the refilling and repair of laundry change machines on a more regular basis, as well as the reinstatement of PennCash for laundry. The proposal then asked that Residential Advisors and Graduate Advisors be required to work with student health groups on preparing health presentations for freshman. Finally, the UA proposed an increase in the number of regular recycling chutes and commingled recycling bins within the high rises and in parts of the Quadrangle. Many of the issues proposed in the proposal are works in process. Traditionally, students may petition for an extension in move-out deadline. But this year, students living in certain buildings will unable to do so to allow for those moving in for summer housing and construction. While the move-out date was not moved to Monday, Sunday at noon is still vastly preferable to Saturday at noon for many. "It should provide added convenience for people whose last final is on Friday," Michael Eden, a Wharton sophomore, said. "They can move out at a more relaxed pace." College sophomore Torry Reynolds agreed, saying, "For my roommates and friends who don't necessarily live in the country, it's a big advantage because it gives them more time to move out."