Families feud with students

Bales of hay in the elevators, broken bottles and late-night loud music were not what married students in Baity Hill expected when they moved in this summer.

But when the students assigned to Cobb Residence Hall were relocated to the campus apartments at the beginning of the semester, the family housing turned into more of a dormlike environment for some.

"You can hear a lot more commotion than if it was just families," said married student Chrissy Overcash, a senior dental hygiene major.

Three instances where hay was put into the elevators in building 1900 of Baity Hill have been reported this semester, Jennifer Lewitas wrote in an e-mail to Cobb residents. About 150 Cobb students and 17 families live in the building, according to the e-mail.

Other problems addressed in the e-mail include vomit stains in the building and signs that have been torn down.

But despite these problems, as well as the lack of parking and laundry facilities, some residents said they have been able to tolerate the nonmarried students living in Baity Hill.

"The laundry room is way over capacity," said Hitoshi Akabane, a business graduate student who lives in Baity Hill with his wife. "It's not terrible, but it certainly has been different since they have arrived."

But noise has been a problem late at night, said Jennifer St. Clair, a graduate student who lives with her son.

Though the building has quiet-hour restrictions at night, some students rarely follow them, residents have said.

Many families said they chose to live in Baity Hill as opposed to a traditional apartment because of the close proximity to campus and the rates offered to married students. They also liked the idea of a family environment.

"Mainly because it was supposed to be student families," St. Clair said. "I felt like I would be moving where at least one person in the family would be in the program."

Nonmarried students were relocated to Baity Hill when renovations to Cobb were not completed in time for them to move in at the start of the semester. Cobb Residence Hall will reopen to students in November.

When reassigning Cobb residents, housing officials said they took into consideration the families already living in the apartments.

"We targeted buildings with fewer married students and children in it," said Rick Bradley, assistant director of housing and residential education. "Graduate students have been understanding and accepting."

There are 470 families spread throughout nine buildings, he said.

No families have decided to leave because of the addition of Cobb residents, Bradley said.

Married students said they understand that Cobb residents also are inconvenienced by the arrangement.

Business graduate student Byung Ju said he usually does not mind the noise.

"It's just the sound of the life they are living."

 

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.