Contrary to earlier news from the University Residence Halls and Apartments, undergraduates currently residing in Creekside Village will be allowed to remain in their apartments for one more year.
Last year, UB admitted the students into the complex, which is billed as graduate-only housing, to ensure the complex would reach full capacity. At the beginning of winter break, however, the undergraduates received notice that they could not renew their leases for the upcoming fall.
According to Michael Koziej, complex director of Creekside Village, the decision to allow the 44 juniors to live in the apartments next fall was made in light of the undergraduate students' outrage with being forced to vacate their apartments.
Joseph Krakowiak, director of University Residence Halls and Apartments, said that when the university first made students aware of the situation, his office did not receive many complaints.
"When we first asked, three students said they were concerned, out of 44," Krakowiak said. "Then, 20 said they were concerned."
Creekside resident Christopher Hickey, a junior industrial engineering major, said he received a letter before winter break informing him the university had decided to allow only graduate students and students with families to remain in Creekside next fall semester.
Michelle Patak, a junior psychology major and resident of Creekside, said someone from the University Residence Halls and Apartments called her last week to ask how she and her roommates reacted to the news about not being able to renew their leases.
"They called the other night and asked how angry we were, and then came with a letter saying we could stay," Patak said.
According to Patak, the letter stated the affected juniors would be given three choices: to renew their leases with Creekside until July 31, 2004; to have priority placement in another on-campus apartment building; or to move off campus.
Austin Dulak, a junior biochemical pharmacology major, said he chose to vacate Creekside and move into South Lake Village because he would prefer living in a complex dedicated to undergraduates.
"(Staying) crossed my mind, but it's just so isolated from the rest of the undergraduates, and we're under such close supervision," he said. "I wasn't surprised at all that they said we had to leave, but I think it's great that they're letting kids stay."
Although the juniors currently residing in Creekside will be able to stay in the complex during their senior year, Krakowiak said the opportunity to reside in Creekside would not be offered to any undergraduate in the future.
According to Koziej, the decision to allow the juniors to stay in Creekside was made because University Residence Halls and Apartments did not want to make any UB student to feel displeased with the university's policies.
"We didn't amply prepare people, and it made them feel bad about living here," Koziej said. "We said, 'We need to go back and make them not feel bad.'"
Photo: Meredith Forrest Kulwicki
