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Housing approves revised Range selections

A new application process, approved by the University Housing Division this week, will determine the next generation of students to inhabit the Range.

Residents will be chosen by the newly-formed Range Council, which consists of any current Range residents willing to participate in the selection process.

Chris Colby, second-year law student and Range resident, started the initiative for the more selective process last semester.

"We want people who want to live here and who want to be a part of a graduate community," Colby said. "Not just someone who will use it for storage."

Donna Shupe, second-year Nursing student and Range resident, said she appreciates Colby's efforts and plans on participating in the Range Council and recruitment of new residents.

"I think it will be a great way to improve the community," Shupe said. "Mr. Jefferson really wouldn't want it the way it is now."

Officially all of the Range rooms are occupied, but according to Colby nearly half of current residents do not actually live in their rooms.

Of the 50 potential Range neighbors Shupe should have, there are only two whom she speaks with on a regular basis, she said.

The new selection process includes the submission of a form, an essay and a resume. The criteria, according to Colby, will be the credence of the applicant's motivations in wanting to become a member of the Range community.

Chief Housing Officer Mark Doherty expressed enthusiasm for Colby's vision of a new admissions process.

"Chris put forward an excellent proposal," Doherty said. "He was very concerned about what we might do to improve the sense of community and the sense of identification with the range students."

According to Doherty, the University Housing Division has been very supportive of Colby and his efforts to improve the current system.

"Essentially there wasn't [a system] before," he said.

Although current graduates and fourth years continuing at the University for graduate work will still be given priority, the Range Council will now consider first-year graduates if there are remaining spaces.

Cole Spencer, assistant director of accommodations, said the Housing Division will send an e-mail next week to all graduates and fourth-years staying at the University informing them of the Range selection process.

"We do the same thing to notify third years about the Lawn selection process," Spencer said.

Eston Melton, first-year Education School graduate, lived on the Lawn as a fourth-year and helped Colby brainstorm ways to create a similar environment on the Range.

"I think [the new process] is more or less a good thing," Melton said. "There's nothing to lose and it's worthwhile to experiment to see what we can reap from this."

Range applications will be available online starting Friday and will be due Feb. 21.

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