Tanya Marsh

On the day you move in, the people at the front desk of your dorm are going to ask you if you want to pay even more money in hall dues. So what are you getting for your $30? Actually, you’re getting a lot.

Music education sophomore Lacey Kruse, who lives in Pierson, said, “If you want to check out movies or the vacuum cleaner from the front desk, then you have to pay an additional fee.”

This additional fee usually costs about $30, which covers the whole school year, according to Associate Director of Residential Life Susan Sandberg. That money covers the whole year.

Sandberg said the money may be spent on things for students to check out, such as vacuums, video games and rec equipment, or on larger items for students in the hall to use, such as pool tables, ping pong tables, and big screen TVs. Hall dues are not required to live in a hall or be a part of that hall’s government. According to Sandberg’s estimates, 50 percent of all students who live in a hall pay dues.

In addition to letting students use items, Kruse said dues can make for residence hall unity.

“I think (hall dues) are a good thing because it gives (students) an opportunity to feel more a part of the hall … and it gives the hall a chance to buy things, like a copier,” she said.