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The Rice Thresher
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by Mark Berenson Thresher Editorial Staff In exchange for rent-free living, two Jones College students have agreed to allow other Jones students to use their apartment as an off-campus commons. The arrangement was part of the university's compensation for the inconvenience members of Jones experienced while being surrounded by construction last year. The apartment at Holly Hall and an additional $5,000 in ambiance money are two of several forms of compensation Jones is receiving. In February, a group of Jones students requested from President Malcolm Gillis that the residents of the college be reimbursed for about half their room fees for as long as construction continues. The request was denied in March. Shortly afterward, students from Jones met with various administrators to discuss ways to compensate the college. Housing and Dining Director Mark Ditman said the apartment was provided to Jones as a quiet spot to get away from the construction. "The intention was to have a place that if Jones students needed a place to decompress, they could go there," Ditman said. Jones President Steve Wilbur said the decision to house the off-campus representatives in the apartment was made last semester by the college's cabinet. "The Jones Cabinet discussed our options in using the apartment and gathered the interests of the college for three weeks last semester," Wilbur, a senior, said. Wilbur added that the reason the cabinet decided to allow the off-campus representatives to live in the apartment was that it would be the best use of the space. "It was then concluded that allowing off-campus representation to live at Holly Hall was the most efficient way to take advantage of the space allotted to us," Wilbur said. The representatives, sophomores David Bloomfield and Eliot Flannery, were chosen in a college-wide election last spring. At Jones' cabinet meeting Wednesday night, Flannery said his apartment was open to fellow Jones students. Bloomfield and Flannery could not be reached for further comment. "I'm sorry I got free housing, but I'm here for you," Flannery said. Wilbur said the college as a whole benefits from the off-campus representatives' use of the apartment in several ways. First, he said, the representatives are willing to open the apartment to other Jones students whenever there is a need and it is reasonable for them to do so. Wilbur said that overnight guests would be allowed at the discretion of Bloomfield and Flannery. "I would recommend that they allow such visits when it is feasible for them to do so," Wilbur said. In addition, Wilbur said, the representatives are planning to use the apartment as an off-campus location to host college events. Wilbur added that someone at Jones will have access to the apartment to use in a situation when Bloomfield and Flannery are not available. Wilbur said he was not sure if he, the Jones masters or someone else would have the key. Members of the college said they thought this form of compensation was fair, as was allowing the off-campus representatives to live in the space. "It think it is a fair use," Jones senior Maureen Stangler said. "I would certainly use the apartment if needed." Ditman said he did not have any problems with housing the off-campus representatives in the apartment. "It was provided as a discretionary resource for the Jones student leadership," Ditman said. "So long as the place doesn't get trashed and the university doesn't have to pay to have it repaired, I want to leave it for the students." Wilbur said other forms of compensation the college received include assisted access to several on-campus locations, such as Duncan Hall, for college events. Wilbur said Jones needs locations to house college events because part of the Jones Commons was destroyed to build the new wing of Jones. Jones' ambiance money was also doubled. Colleges normally receive $5,000 per year. Wilbur said members of Jones will submit ideas for ways to use the money, and the cabinet will choose which plans to implement. Ditman said Jones received the extra ambiance money because the construction had damaged many furnishings on which the college had spent previous years' ambiance money. "The idea was that they didn't have the same opportunities as the other colleges to improve their public spaces," Ditman said.
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