Issue date: 9/29/09 Section: News

Kenny Williams, a freshman biology major, laughs as he talks about his day with his roommate Carlos Reyna, a sophomore merchandising major, on Monday afternoon in their Douglas Hall room. Williams and Reyna starting rooming together during the spring semester.(Eric Hiltner/The Daily Eastern News)

New students anxiously wait on the first day of college to meet the roommate the housing office paired them with.

They walk into their dorm room, and there is a stranger sitting on their bed. The roommate relationship could potentially be either a success or a failure.

Successful roommate relationship

Sophomores Kenny Williams and Carlos Reyna chose to live together during spring and continued that tradition by rooming again this fall. 

"The first week of school last year, me and my old roommate just didn't get along." Williams said. "I decided to room with Carlos because he is a cool guy, and it has gone well ever since."

Reyna had the room to himself before Williams and they decided to room together, Reyna said.

"It has been very convenient considering we both play football," Reyna said. "We have the same schedule for the most part. Rooming with him has been a lot of fun."

Successful roommate relationships can be a gamble.

"I don't see any foreseeable problems in the future with rooming with Kenny, but I can see how having a problem with your roommate could seriously affect your school work," Reyna said. "I guess you could say we are just lucky to room with each other."

Roommate break-up

Dan Rolando, Douglas Hall resident assistant, said there have been times when roommates decide they do not get along with each other and search for chances to escape from one another. 

"Sometimes two people just are not meant to live together," Rolando said.           

According to Housing and Dining, each student is issued an application yearly that students fill out with either who they plan to room with, or their preferences and living styles to help in issuing a random roommate.

If a problem does arise throughout the semester, the student can go to the housing and dining office to request a room change. 

Housing and Dining helps in finding an alternative living place for students, whether an empty room, another roommate or counseling with the floor resident assistant between roommates. 

In the case of a roommate split up, problems can arise when both students want the room and when deciding who should move out. 

The standard is that the student filing the complaint has to abandon the room.

Mark Hudson, director of Housing and Dining, said since 1908 the mission of housing and dining has been to provide students and their families with the conveniences of home and to continue to look for ways to serve them better. 

When filling out the application to get a random roommate, Housing and Dining asks students to be accurate.

Lies on the form could result with one night trying to sleep at midnight with a roommate listening to heavy metal and playing video games. 

Wally Swenson can be reached at 581-7942 or wfswenson@eiu.edu.

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