Although substance-free housing was previously available through a separate application process, it is now part of the normal selection process and no application is necessary. "We realized that it is more of a lifestyle choice to live in substance-free housing," McGalliard said.

The entire process began March 27 when students interested in living in Greek and theme housing options or Polo Residence Hall needed to notify RLH of their housing decisions.

On April 2, the first room selection meeting, for Polo, was held for groups of students to choose their townhouse or studio apartment.

Next, students seeking housing in student apartments, substance-free blocks, or singles selected their rooms.

The process will continue April 9 with independent block housing followed by open room shopping. "Read through (the A.G.O.R.A) packet. We've included everything in the brochure you would need to know," McGalliard said. "Students should feel free to call or stop by the office before the (selection) meetings occur."

Students have varying opinions of the room selection process, mainly based on past experiences. "I'm a fan of the housing selection, because it's pretty much worked in my favor every year," junior Brooke Watson said.

Watson was recently accepted into Polo for next fall and is very excited to be moving off the Quad and into the newest residence hall.

Other students have been dreading the housing process because they are upset by previous problems with room selection, like sophomore Jennifer George who cannot wait to get out of her current housing situation.

"I'm stuck in a back room in Poteat that is going to be a single next year and two of us are living in it tihs year," she said. "I think that the lounge rooms should be made into triples, rather than the tiny rooms being doubles, in the event that there is not enough space for people."

The selection process remains somewhat of an enigma for those first-year students who have never had to go through it before.

"I am kind of pessimistic about the whole deal," said freshman Ashleigh Lawrence, who is planning on getting a suite with a few friends. "It is all such a mystery; you go into that day not knowing whether or not all the plans you've made for next year will be possible," she said.

"We just wonder if there will be anything left for us bottom-of-the-barrel freshman when the upperclassmen are done."

However, changes to the selection process seem unlikely anytime in the near future.

"I think the process works pretty well," McGalliard said. The process was developed with student input several years ago, and changes continue to be made based on student responses in survey's administered to all resident students at each selection meeting.

"We continue to evaluate the process every year," she said. According to McGalliard, one change that has been brought up is completing the housing in person. "Although I'm sure it's well organized, it's pretty nerve racking," freshman Meredith Ducz said.

Ducz will be living on the Kappa Delta halls next year, however, and does not have to worry about the selection process.

"As it is, one of my main reasons for deciding to live on the halls was because I knew that in doing so I wouldn't have to go through 'hell' I've heard the room selection process to be. I'm excited about living in the halls and I'm even more excited that I'm done with the whole thing," Ducz said.

As the housing process continues, students will pick roommates and suitemates and hope tha their desired housing will still be available.