This year, Usen Castle is no longer available to rising juniors, and instead will be offered to rising sophomores. Also, the entire Massell Quad, including singles, will be offered to first-year students.Residence Life announced several major changes to the dorm allotment from the previous years in an e-mail sent to the entire student body. They will distribute housing lottery numbers to students in their mailboxes Friday.

The housing lottery, conducted each spring by Residence Life is the primary vehicle by which continuing students receive housing for the following fall. Rising sophomores, juniors, and seniors who want to live on campus the following year receives a randomly assigned number, by which the order students choose living arrangements is determined. The room selection process will take place during the week of March 16.

According to Robert Andrews, associate director of Residence Life for Campus Living, a number of factors go into the decisions each year.

"It's a multi-layered process involving staff and student input and based on numbers," Andrews said.

The current system provides that all first-year students have guaranteed housing. In addition, the university must guarantee housing for the same percentage of rising sophomores as the percentage of current sophomores who remained on-campus this year. This rule requires that 97 percent of rising sophomores receive housing through this year's lottery.

Outside of this rule, a history of residence hall living and room change patterns determine what decisions are made. Discontent expressed by current juniors and seniors living in the Castle, as well as a large number of room change requests in the Castle, led administration to consider changing the makeup of the dormitory. Beforehand, the decision of which residence hall would provide the extra housing for sophomores fell between either Ridgewood Quad or the Usen Quad.

"It was discussed at length," Andrews said. It was decided that the Castle would house sophomores "because of patterns of vacancy in the Castle. More students came to the (Residence Life) office pleading that Ridgewood would stay for juniors."

As the situation stands, Ridgewood will be the sole junior-only residence.

Some students have conveyed concern about this change in housing selection.

"Juniors are affected by (the change) whether or not they would like to live in the Castle: Fewer housing options means fewer people get the housing they want," Asaff Harel '05 said.

Catherine Mathes '06 said, "I don't know if there's much interaction (in the Castle) because it's not hallway living, but it's still another way of separating the two classes."

Still, others positively anticipate the change in housing arrangements.

"I like the idea that (sophomores) get the Castle," said Rachel Loube '06.

Juniors will retain housing in Ridgewood, Ziv Quad, Charles River Apartments, and 567 South Street, as well as housing in the new hall currently under construction.

"You are losing spaces in the Castle, but hopefully those will be replaced with spaces in the new hall," said Sarah Hogan, administrative assistant for the Department of Residence Life.

The new residence hall, open to juniors and seniors next fall, will not be an option for students in lottery. According to Andrews and Hogan, the process for housing the new hall must be postponed in order to obviate the effect of any inclement weather on the construction process. Both, however, are confident that the new hall will be open for the fall, and students will be selected for residence in the new hall later this spring by filling out an application during their housing selection and in accordance with their lottery numbers.

"(Due to the new dorm) the wait list process is going to be greatly diminished," Hogan said.

Andrews added, "(The new dorm) will be one of the most beautiful pieces of art on campus and one of the most functional buildings on campus ... It's hard for students to imagine, because many of our residence halls are very traditional. We are just very excited about it."

"I'm excited about the new dorms, although I'm skeptical as to whether they will finish it on time," said Harel.

Andrews said the new hall, in conjunction with Ziv and Ridgewood, would help in building a close-knit community of upperclass students. The three dorms combined would put over 600 juniors and seniors within one confined area he said.

"Socially, we thought that would be optimal. We want there to be a sense of community for you," Andrews said.

Last year, doubles in East were chosen before singles in Massell and North. This year, the singles in Massell and North will go either to those on the wait list, those with disabilities or to first-year students, representing another change from previous lotteries.

After students move into the new dorm next fall, Residence Life will rely on student feedback for how to improve upon and maintain positive aspects of residence living in new dorm, as well as elsewhere on campus. This year, Andrews assisted in the founding a new Housing Advisory Board consisting of students that help provide student input in the housing selection process. This year, the board worked to a limited extent with the Quad Director staff, Residence Life staff and the Office of Student Life staff.

"Philosophically, I feel like (this system) is better," Andrews said. "Administratively, it's a lot more work. We wanted students to have more choice, so we changed the system to optimize student choice."

Shanah Gutman '04 will not be entering the lottery this fall, having strong reservations about the housing lottery system.

"I think it's not a fair process. (The staff) has good intentions, but people lose friends by it," Gutman said.

Andrews said, "Designations will change every year. Do we want to keep some consistency? Do we want students to be happy? Yes.