Brittany Westerberg

It is almost time for students to reapply for a residence hall room for next year, and there are some differences that students should be aware of.

This year will mark the first year that residents can claim their same room for next year online, according to Peggy Spinski, assignment coordinator for Residential Life. Last year, she said, everyone filled out an application online, but they also had to come to reapplication in the lobby of Caldwell Hall.

If a student is reclaiming the same room as the previous year, the student can do so online, beginning at noon on March 27 and ending at noon on April 3. If they also pay the $50 confirmation fee online with a debit or credit card, then they do not need to attend reapplication.

If a student is not reclaiming the same room as last year, they will need to fill out the application online, print it out and bring it with to reapplication in Caldwell Hall. Students can also pay the $50 confirmation fee online with a debit or credit card. If students do that, they will need to print out a copy of the e-mail confirmation they receive and bring it with them to reapplication as well.

For those students who wish to live in Caldwell next year, sign up begins March 27. This is to allow for G.P.A. and judicial checks, as the hall is designated for second-year students who have at least a 2.5 G.P.A. and are in good judicial standing. Anyone who applies will be notified by March 31 if they are not eligible so that they can apply for another residence hall.

There are some changes within different halls across campus as well.

Next year, Binnewies Hall will house new students who come to SDSU from distant states. Currently Young Hall houses these students from states that do not border South Dakota and who do not have a major preference, Director of Residential Life Mike Kervin said. “On weekends, if they’re spread out across campus, they think the campus is dead,” while other students go home for the weekend to work or for a hometown high school basketball game, he said. This way, more students will probably be around and there will be more activities planned for the weekends.

Brown Hall is designated as the Healthy Lifestyles Hall again for next year. Residents of this hall agree not to use alcohol or tobacco products and emphasize healthy living, exercise, healthy diets, etc.

Mathews Hall will house three Living/Learning communities directed toward people with these majors, the same as this year. Health Professionals will be housed on the first and second floors, engineering majors will be on third floor and the Honors College will be on the fourth floor. The only difference is that next year women will be housed in the east wing while men will be in the west wing.

Second floor of Hansen Hall also houses an Ag & Bio Living/Learning Community.

The second floor of Pierson Hall has been set aside for new freshmen students as part of the First Year Experience program (FYRE). The 2007-2008 school year was the first year for this new program, and it has been growing and evolving, Kervin said. This program is dedicated to helping students in their first year to transition into college life.

Next year, Waneta Hall will house a Spanish speaking community on third floor. Rooms have been set aside for students who wish to participate, and those who sign up for these rooms will agree to speak only Spanish in their rooms.

To fill out the application for housing online, go to https://misintranet.sdstate.edu/reslife/index.cfm