Although residents desiring a single room this year were often met with discouraging results, Director of Residence Randy Alexander said one-occupant housing will be easier to find next year.

Alexander said single rooms were more difficult for students to obtain this year because of renovations in Maple Hall, the first step in the department’s Master Plan.

“Once the Master Plan goes into effect, we won’t be taking away as many beds as we’re adding,” he said. “The single room situation will improve.”

Alexander said the higher cost of single rooms are not a deterrent to residents.

“No increase in price has ever resulted in a decrease in demand; we’re still turning people away,” he said. “The demand is extremely high, and people are willing to pay for it.”

Despite the single room crunch this year, Alexander said there are still around 250 students living in residence hall single rooms.

He said many of these students are living in rooms specifically designed for one person or in double rooms that opened up after the fall semester.

Peter Englin, coordinator of residence life, said he thinks the private room option enhances the quality of residence hall life.

“I believe a lot of students prefer the privacy of a single room,” he said. “Many students are accustomed to having their own room; it’s something that they expect.”

Englin also said he does not think single rooms are a detriment to community interaction in the residence halls.

“Naturally, people that are more extroverted will participate more, while people that are more introverted many prefer not to,” he said.

Juli Hisel, junior in English who has a single room, said single rooms have both advantages and disadvantages.

“It’s nice just being able to sit around, not having to worry about being a slob,” she said. “But it is easy not to see anybody since you don’t have a roommate; you have to be careful not to become a hermit.”