This year's midyear class will move into a newly renovated building together for the fourth year in a row, but this won't necessarily be the case for future midyear classes, according to Director of Residence Life Rich DeCapua. Spring 2008 midyear students, the program's fifth class, will move into a newly renovated Deroy residence hall in Massell Quad Jan. 11 for the start of next semester. Midyears moved into revamped Gordon, Sheffres and Renfield buildings over the last three years. During the program's first year, however, midyears didn't have their own building and instead were housed wherever space was available.

The decision about where to house midyears in future years depends on many different factors, DeCapua said. There are renovations planned for the Charles River apartments as well as the construction on a new quad.

"Four years down the line with the midyear students, a lot of what we're talking about is theoretical," he said. "New construction often depends on what we can afford. Every year, depending on what renovations we're doing, there are different opportunities."

DeCapua, however, explained that he will try to at least house future midyear students near each other even if they can't be housed in the same building for their first semester at Brandeis.

"If they can't all be housed together in one building, we will definitely try to group them all together somewhere," DeCapua said. "It might be possible to hold a floor or two in some buildings and reserve them for midyear students. We want to provide as much housing as possible with the least amount of hassle for current students."

DeCapua explained that the University's housing plan for the first midyear class, which didn't have its own building, wasn't successful.



"The original housing plan was not effective as far as helping midyears adjust to campus life," DeCapua said. "Residence Life knew that from the beginning, and now we have a way to do it better."

Midyear Faith Bowman '10, who is currently in her second semester at Brandeis, said that she benefited from living together with her fellow midyears.

"My experience [in Renfield] was very positive," she said. "It was definitely a good thing that all the midyears were housed together, because the midyear experience is different [from that of a] student who starts in the fall.