Students swarm HUB housing fair

Some students came to the University's housing fair searching for a place to live, others for some peace of mind -- and still others for the freebies.

The freebies were enough to draw those not even looking for housing to the 13th Annual Housing Fair, held Friday and Saturday in the HUB Ballroom. There were mugs, pens and candy at nearly every table, and there were also representatives from a number of local rental agencies ready to answer students' questions.

"The freebies are good," said Alpha Harrison (junior-art education). "But there's also a lot of information here. I never thought there'd be so many different organizations."

The housing fair is a convenient way for students to find living space near campus, said Jamie Klingler, director of town affairs for the Undergraduate Student Government.

"This gives people a nonpartisan way of finding housing," she said. "It just makes it a lot easier to give them a lot of information and educate them. This way, they can find a place by comparing, not by process of elimination."

Klingler estimated more than 4,000 students attended, many of whom visited from Commonwealth Campuses, to get an idea of what is available in the area.

- Jamie Klingler, director of town affairs for the Undergraduate Student Government

However, some students still felt pressed for time. Kelli Collins (junior-human resources) said she was having difficulty finding a two-bedroom apartment for three people.

"I'm hoping that this will give me some luck," she said, "because otherwise we'll be living on the streets."

Many other students seemed to echo the same sentiment, but rental company representatives assured them that a number of apartments are still available.

"Many of the apartments are taken by the end of July, beginning of August," said Theresa Brickley, marketing representative for State College Park, 349 W. Clinton Ave. "But we're here to give people more information. This allows us to give out more hard-copy and give students an idea of what the competition is like."

Students who wanted to take a firsthand look at "the competition," were able to visit different apartment sites by buses leaving the HUB, and the Association of Residence Hall Students offered tours of some dorms.

However difficult the search for an apartment may be, some students say it is worth it to avoid living in a dorm.

"I can't stand living in the dorms. Living in an apartment is more convenient. You have more space and you have freedom," said Chad Krawiec (graduate-kinesiology), who is transferring to the University from Boston.

The housing fair was sponsored by Greek Life, the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments, USG, ARHS and the Student Activity Fee.