Dorms no more

( To the right: Blankenship's old dorm room)

Tiffany Blankenship, a freshman, doesn’t come home to the Los Alamitos dorms anymore. Blankenship, in addition to about 70 other students this school year, had to move out mid-year from the dorms according to Carol Roberts-Corb, the head of the Housing Department.

The struggle to meet the over $10,000 cost of living in the dorms weighed down on Blankenship’s family to a point where they could no longer pay. Blankenship was forced to move out in February. She is now living in Beverley Plaza Apartments and commutes to school.

“I believe the amount that you pay [for the dorms] is not economically equivalent to the services you receive. When you can go out within a mile of school and get your own apartment at much less of a cost and have a nicer place to live, there's no point in living on campus” Blankenship said.

Sophomore Michelle Zetomer no longer has a roommate due to high prices. Her roommate, Ann Monahan, was an out of state student. Monahan was unable to afford housing in addition to the increase of fees for out of state fees (an additional $372 for each credit taken).

Monahan ended up moving out at the end of last semester back home to Washington. She is currently not enrolled at any university this semester.

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