CHANGE OF S P A C E

After three years of college, most Luther students are ready for some change. They have paid their Paideia dues, gotten most of their gen. eds out of the way and are planning for life after the final year at Luther.

However, graduating is not the only way to get some variety into Luther life. To switch up your living atmosphere in the future, the college offers several housing options for senior year.

By the residence requirement, Luther students are required to live in college owned housing all four years unless they receive permission to live off
campus. Exempt from this policy are married students, non-traditional students 23 and older, students commuting from a legal guardian’s home and those who get permission to find their own arrangements through private lenders.

Though students have the opportunity to apply to live off campus, Luther students can also get the atmosphere of independent living on campus by residing in Baker Village, the College Apartments or one of the College Houses.

Each off-campus residence has its own unique history. Both college and private living spaces, like the Court House (typically used by fraternities) have had the same use throughout their life.

Unique traits characterize other houses. While the Naked house is famous for having hosted parties after Naked Soccer, the Prairie Houses are known for their past use as a student language immersion project. Students would live in either the Spanish, German or French houses and were supposed to immerse themselves in the particular language assigned to the house.

Eventually all students were required to study abroad to fulfill their immersion requirement and the buildings were no longer needed, so the project ended.

“The program simply lost its objective,” said Kate Haller (‘10) who lives in the former German house.

So what do these unique living places offer now? For Nora Shaffer (‘10) of the Russian House, in addition to more space and private bathrooms, the house gives her the opportunity to eat healthier.

“It was hard to eat healthy in the cafeteria, but now that we make most of our meals ourselves, it’s a lot easier,” Shaffer said.

For students in apartments, the extra privacy and personal responsibility of living in such a space is a way for them to begin transitioning into post-college life. Living in more of a real world setting can soften the change between life at Luther and life after.

Each year Baker Village houses 96 students, the Houses hold 21 students and around 100 off-campus release forms are given out. Each student who applies must have 72 credit hours by the end of fall semester of their junior year.

Applications are ranked in order of credit hours and the placements are decided from there. The process for applying for an off-campus release begins Feb. 3, 2010, and applications are due to the Res Life Office by March 12.

If you are looking to live in Baker Village, a College House or College Apartment next year, consult the e-mails sent by Res Life or give them a visit. For all in search of non-dorm dwelling, good luck and happy residence hunting!