This fall, insufficient requests for special living options has placed students in interest houses they didn't select.

Kathy Krinks, manager of the assignment office, said there are about 550 spaces available for interest housing, not including those in the scholars program. Of those spaces, about 450 students want to be there.

"About 10 percent haven't requested," said Krinks.

Pat Kessinger, mail assignment staff assistant, said membership is increasing in the special living options, and "interest houses are getting stronger." Still, with so many spaces available, it is difficult to place only requesting students on the specific floors.

Barry Bram, associate director of Residence Life, said there are 16 different living options available.

Beaver Hall is comprised of only special living housing. This includes floors for Helping Across the Community, International Language, Martin Luther King House for Social Justice, English and Applied Science, Information Systems and Technology and Health, Education and Living.

Matt Harris (sophomore-engineering) was placed without request on the international floor.

"I feel kind of isolated because most students have a common similarity that I don't have," he said.

He added it is sometimes difficult because a lot of the people already know each other, but at the same time he feels, "it's not that big of a deal."

Another special living option is LIFE housing, which is Living in a Free Environment Housing. This provides students an opportunity to interact with other students like themselves who have chosen not to use alcohol, tobacco and other drugs. These students are housed in the top four floors of Tener Hall, and the third and fourth floors of Ewing Hall.

Supplementary housing exists on the ninth floor of Tener Hall, but students who were placed in LIFE housing without request do not seem to be affected by floor regulations. Although members of special living options must often sign a contract, those not requesting the option do not need to sign.

The seven students living in this specific supplemental housing were all given a copy of the contract by their resident assistant and are asked to attend floor meetings.

Nate Mitchell (freshman-division of undergraduate studies) said, "We are not technically bound by contract to abide by rules. We didn't have to sign it."

Other students said they participate in some aspects of floor life.

"Our (resident assistant) requests our presence and wants us to go to meetings," said Phil Krajewski (freshman-engineering).

The resident assistant of this floor, Kevin Auriemma (junior-accounting) said those students living in this supplemental housing are invited to attend everything, are given a contract and are asked to join the organization.

Conflict between students who chose LIFE housing and the students arbitrarily placed on the floor has not yet been a source of tension.

"There hasn't been an issue so far," Auriemma said.

Mike Brown (sophomore-engineering), a student who did request the housing, said there does not seem to be that much of an effect on the floor by having non-requested students living with him.

"The only effect is there is no place to study," he said.

Bram said that as of now, the process of moving students out of study lounges, especially on special living option floors, is still underway.

"There are between 700 to 800 living in supplemental housing, we are still in the process of figuring out who didn't show," Bram said.

Once this is determined, students will be placed in permanent residences.