Squatting in Your Residence Hall

Something that I find to be rather senseless is the fact that even if you are squatting in the exact same room the following semester, you are not permitted to leave your possessions in the room over the summer unless you are a Village resident, which is an extremely unfair advantage. It makes no sense to me, because it would save a lot of time both for students returning to the same rooms and for Welcoming Crews assisting students when school begins again.

Summer break really isn’t that long; it is only two to three months, so what kind of sense does it make to remove all possessions from the room and then return them when it comes time to return? It is such an utter waste of time and ultimately defeats what the primary purpose of squatting should be (key word – should).

For example, I keep a refrigerator here, one that I do not really need at home, and even if I could just leave that here, it would be so helpful. I have office supplies, silverware, plates, bathroom supplies, and so forth that simply do not need to go home, and it is such a hassle to have to bring them home and store them when they are coming back here, anyway. The same is true of wall posters; I have to take the time to decorate the room but then have to take everything down in May only to put it back up in September; it simply doesn’t make sense.

However, for the most part, I really feel like I am, more or less, repeating the same statement over and over again, just wording it differently, and I don’t want to do that. I just feel like something should be done to reform such a senseless policy. I have very mixed feelings about the semester being almost over, but mostly, I really don’t want to go home. Here, I have a happy life, and I am with whom I love. I really wish that I could stay here and take classes over the summer.

To conclude, I saw a Roller Derby game here in Oswego this past weekend, and it was fun. The best way of explaining the experience is to start by explaining what happened to me a week ago this previous Sunday. To cut a long story short, I hit my head pretty hard, and I lost my ability to speak properly, but it was only very temporary (only a few hours), and for a good week or so following the accident, my head hurt so bad. I had terrible migraines that made me sensitive bright lights and loud noises, and at the game, there was an obnoxiously loud band playing beforehand, and then when the players’ “fake names” were being announced right before the game started, someone was blowing a whistle not too far from where we (my boyfriend and I) were sitting, so my head was killing me. Other than that, though, it was a lot of fun and was an interesting experience, because other than the film Whip It!, I have never seen a Roller Derby game. It was against Cortland, and Oswego won 160 to 69.

This weekend, I am playing a kickball game with a team of friends at Lee Field. It is some sort of tournament against other teams, not all of which are from Oswego, I don’t think. It cost $100 to register our team, which I think is ridiculously expensive, but proceeds went to a good cause. It should be fun, even though it is three hours, and I will likely be writing about it. In the meantime, take care.

About the Author

Hey, I'm Christopher. I am currently a graduate student in the SUNY Oswego English program, and I am also a Desk Attendant in Sheldon Hall (where I am also living). I graduated with two degrees in May 2012 - English and Adolescence Education with a Concentration in English. I substitute-taught in Rome City School District fall 2012 and then came back to school in January 2013 in order to obtain a masters degree in English, which I plan to obtain in May 2014. I love to read, and I love TV shows, especially science-fiction and fantasy.
Email: ccook@oswego.edu
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3 thoughts on “Squatting in Your Residence Hall

  1. I’m pretty sure that when you hit your head, you suffered a concussion. I’m not a pre-med major so hey I can’t say 100% but those are the kind of injuries described as concussions when I’m watchin Sports Center 0_0.

    Also I always found it irritating to have to pack and then unpack all of my stuff every summer. It doesn’t really make sense. Although from what I am told this is the time that cleaning crews use to clean and restore room to the level its expected to be on.

    Maybe they could find a better way though. Who knows…

  2. I agree with “kwame” that you certainly could have had a concussion. You should really see a doctor and avoid the roller derby after had trauma. I think they have to clean the rooms and also check for damage. Besides, some of the rooms people live in need the cleaning every year or they would get destroyed. I know they use a lot of the rooms for conferences and especially this summer for the big reunion weekend. Maybe you could go in half and half with someone on a storage unit for the summer.

  3. I did see a doctor; the night that it happened, I was in the hospital for four or five hours and was told that it was a seizure that was basically a minor concussion. As for the possessions having to be brought home, I understand that rooms are used for conferences and what not, but there are plenty of rooms that will be empty anyway due to students graduating or switching rooms. As for having to clean it, I suppose that that does make sense, but we are, after all, adults, and we should be expected to keep the rooms clean ourselves.

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