Bunked furniture in lofted triples found in Massell and North Quad has remained in place even after the third roommate never showed up or had moved out.The furniture has not been removed because some first year students may get additional midyear roommates.

In previous years, it has been the policy of Residence Life to dismantle the furniture in a lofted triple if one of the roommates never showed up or had moves out or convert the room to a double.

Tulsi Rao '07 said "Once the room is detripled, they should take out the loft because it's a waste of space."

This year is the first time that Brandeis has members of the class of 2007 entering the university in January as part of a new deferred admission policy. Eighty first year students will begin their studies at the university during the second semester.

Currently, midyear students have not received specific rooming assignment because the Department of Residence Life is waiting for information from different offices on campus, including the Office of Undergraduate Admissions.

Director of Residence Life, Maggie Balch said, "There's a good chance that people in a lofted triple will be getting a new roommate."

There are other housing options for first year students arriving in Jan students who are studying abroad during their second semester will provide open rooms which may house the entering students.

There are ten empty rooms in the basement of Shapiro. Associate Director of Residence Life for Staff and Programs, Michael LaFarr said that the rooms in Shapiro basement are for "overflow or emergency housing." The rooms in Shapiro basement have much smaller windows and there is only one bathroom for the entire floor, which poses a problem since all the other floors on Shapiro are coed.

There is a university committee working on the issue of housing the midyear students. The Department of Residence Life would rather house the midyear students in freshman housing than elsewhere on campus, indicating that it would be easier for them to adjust in freshman housing. Balch said, referring to upperclassmen housing, "there are places to have a better first year adjustment."

Students have mentioned several difficulties of life in a lofted triple. Abby Nedrow '07 said, "if a person doesn't compromise (in a triple), everyone gets upset."

"On the flipside, I think the students have realized that their network of friends increases with the connections made by the extra person in the room," said North Quad Director, Rusmir Music, "so that some of the potential challenges in the end balance out."

Another issue of the lofted room discrepancy is money. Adjustment for housing is done by the Department of Residence Life in November and students living in lofted triples are reimbursed a certain amount of money. Balch said, "the Department of Residence Life is unsure of what kind of adjustment will be done for two students living in a lofted room.

The housing for this year's first years includes about thirty fewer lofted triple rooms than there were last year. LaFarr said, "This is the fewest number of lofts that I've seen in 5 years."

For the first time, there are also first years living in single rooms in the first year dorms of Massell and North Quad. Some sophomores were able to move into areas on campus previously used by juniors, because many moved into the newly constructed Village, freeing up single rooms in the first year halls. Reactions from first year students living in singles have been a "mixed bag" said Balch.

There have been mixed reactions from students about living in lofted triples. "The triples are not adequately equipped to be triples," said Abbie Zamcheck '07, "and for there to be empty rooms in Shapiro basement is an outrage to students who are willing to make the best of a triple but should really be presented with an alternative. It's like nobody's on first base." In addition, Zamcheck '07 commented on the lack of proper railings on the bed and the unsafe condition of the ladder leading to the loft.

Another student in a lofted triple, Jonathan Mizrak '07, said "I've got my space, and I've got my desk. As long as I can do my work, it's fine."

Music also said in regard to transfer requests for students living in North Quad lofted triples, "we have received surprisingly few."

In a discussion about the practice of first year students receiving singles, LaFarr said "(Department of Residence Life) provides as many housing options as possible."

It is not certain if or when the lofted triples will be debunked.