Room-selection process debuts to mixed reviews

After weeks of planning and debate, the new room changing process debuted in Harnwell College House to varied reviews.

Some called it stressful, others called it ridiculous. Some called it an overall success.

The new process which played out over the course of four nights last week is based on "house seniority." Residents received one point for each semester they have lived in the building. During the selection process, anyone hoping to live in the house again came to the Harnwell Rooftop Lounge for the lottery process.

Roommates with the highest point averages got to choose their rooms first. Groups with the same number of points engaged in a tiebreaker which used a deck of cards to decide the winner.

The process was created earlier this year to combat what officials saw as misuse of the old system -- which allowed one person to retain a room regardless of whether his or her roommates lived in the building, and gave priority to older students.

"A lot of thought has gone into this," Harnwell Resident Adviser and College senior Alexander Eppstein said. "We had people exploiting the [old] system. We tried to base it on [house] seniority -- on who had lived in the house rather than how long [they were] at Penn."

Organizers called the process a success.

"By definition, all the students got what they wanted," Harnwell Faculty Master David Brownlee said, adding that fewer than 25 percent of students vying for rooms needed tiebreakers.

Brownlee said the new process gives students "a real system to select their rooms" and said that it was "not terribly hectic."

But while Brownlee said he thought residents were "pumped up" for the new room selection process, some students said they were stressed out by it.

"If I had applied given the process the last year, I would have gotten my room with a lot less stress," Wharton sophomore Usman Masood, who selected his room on the second night, said. "This system just seems to have everyone on their toes."

Several students said the procedure took longer than necessary.

Though College junior Jessica Liu said she got really lucky on the final night of the room selection process when she drew the top card in a tie-breaker for a three-bedroom quad, she still felt discouraged by the process.

"I kind of wished there was basis on seniority -- people that are freshmen have a better standing than I do," Liu said. "The point system was a little confusing to figure out."

College junior Kelechi Okere said on the third night of the lottery that he was also confused by the new process.

"It doesn't make much sense," Okere said. "I just think the point system is rough -- it's a necessary evil."

Some students who wanted to participate in community living -- several rooms of friends on the same floor -- were concerned they would be split up.

"I think they're changing something that really didn't need to be changed," Engineering sophomore Farah Saeed said.

"I don't like it all. It's just pretty random," she said, adding that she got lucky when she ended up with her old room with just two points.

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