On March 28, six of us sat in The Mac Weekly’s office, waiting for the clock to hit 11:30 am. My future roommate sat in front of a desktop, eyes glued to the screen frantically practicing how he was going to execute the most flawless housing selection the world had ever seen. Nothing could have prepared us for the moment, though. When the time finally arrived, “Command F” wouldn’t work and everything filled up so quickly, as we scrolled through every room we selected had already been claimed.
When we finally clicked on an empty room, we were so desperate we claimed it without even looking at where it was placed on our list. We were just happy for the process to be over. It was a five minute experience that felt like 30 years, and I would be happy to never do it again. I also think this is the best way for housing selection to be run.
There are many problems with many of the systems Macalester College runs on. Successful course registration is largely reliant on luck, the Center for Disability Resources has dozens of issues and apparently people are being poisoned by Cafe Mac. Housing selection seems to be the one of only things that is operated and executed in the fairest and most efficient way possible.
This efficiency and fairness is even more obvious when the process is spelled out. Each class is given a specific day and time when they can register. This year, freshmen got 11:30 am on March 28. The rest of it is up to you. In my case my roommate, when it hit time, clicked Select on the rooms that popped up and kept clicking until one was Available. A few minutes later, we got our confirmation email. It’s that simple. The build up is stressful, sweaty-palm-inducing and riddled with anxiety. Once the process was over my roommate stood up, hugged me and almost started crying.
But, looking at the process objectively, there aren’t any issues. Any lack of success completely depends on individual speed and planning, which is equally accessible to everyone.
Many students, unsurprisingly, have issues with Mac’s system. In search of a solution, alternate systems are often pitched, such as using a lottery.
Housing selection lotteries have been executed in many ways; for instance, individual students might be given a number that would determine how early in the day they could select their room. The point here would be to have time to find people with lower or higher numbers, planning more around if you would work together as roommates rather than who your best friend is. Another way to utilize the lottery system is when students submit their “group” of roommates as well as a rank choice list of their room preferences. They’re then given a lottery number and when their turn comes, they can choose from the rooms left. This way the stress of having to sit down and race to press a button is no longer a concern.
Matthew Allaire ’27 is one of the students who is in favor of this way housing selection can be run.
“I think you’re given more agency in a lottery system… I feel like [the way housing selection is done now] is a little dis-empowering, knowing that that’s going to be the situation going in and there’s nothing you can do about it,” he said, addressing the high-intensity experience that is the current system.
Yet, a lottery system is far from perfect. Unlike course selection, where students with a later slot one semester should, in theory, get an earlier slot next time, housing selection is something most students only participate in once, usually living off campus their junior and senior year. Because of this, getting a worse time slot is even more disappointing. Additionally, individual lotteries remove any possible control from the situation, resulting in people not necessarily living with someone they know. Even if done in groups, this lack of control is still very present. By the time it’s your turn if all the rooms that worked for your ideal living situation are taken, that’s it. You get what you get and you don’t get upset. Careful planning or speedy fingers can’t save you — you’re at the whim of a lottery.
Considering all of this, I think it’s fair to say that the current system is one that works as well as it can. The issues that are held with it only come from the inherent stress it elicits, and this will always be present. Where you are going to live is a stressful thing — it is the place you sleep, get dressed and do homework. It is where you go when you need time alone or alone with someone else. Lottery or free-for-all, it will always make our palms sweat and hands shake; that’s just what comes with such high-stakes processes that can’t be guaranteed in advance.
Housing selection will never be perfect, but this is the best way something as stressful and up-to-chance as room draw can run.