Renovations victims fear crime, inconvenience of relocation

By Jennifer Supernaw

A month after the Administration announced plans to create "swing space" for Berkeley students while their college undergoes extensive renovation beginning in 1998, Berkeleyites are naming safety concerns and greater inconvenience as the key causes of continued apprehension regarding their impending move.

A new dormitory will be constructed on Tower Parkway, across from the Payne Whitney Gymnasium, to house students while the improvements are being made. Administrators stress the qualities of the modern building in order to gain support for their plan. The new dorm will be organized in suites like those in the residential colleges, and each will have its own bathroom and kitchenette. The building will also feature amenities such as air conditioning and access to cable television.

Berkeley students are not the only ones expressing disappointment at having to spend a year outside their colleges. Branford will be renovated after Berkeley, and Alex Rethore, BR '00, said, "Being able to spend three years in my college was one of the reasons I came to Yale. Having renovated colleges will be great for the students who come after us, but we're getting the short end of the stick."

Since Tower Parkway is so far removed from the center of campus, some students are considering seeking off-campus apartments. According to Jennifer Dempsey, BK '00, "I think it's going to be a pain being that far away from campus. I'm considering moving off campus that year."

Some Berkeleyites are pondering other alternatives to the relocation. According to Laura Brito, BR '00, "Being able to live on Old Campus would be another incentive for becoming a freshman counselor."

An additional issue confronting students is that of safety in the new dorm's neighborhood. According to Wesley Warren, BK '99, "I think being so far removed from campus will jeopardize students' safety."

Lake Place, which runs parallel to Tower Parkway, saw an increase in crime, particularly drug dealing, during the past few years. According to Assistant Chief of Yale Police James Perotti, the problems were not as serious as those in other parts of New Haven, but were nevertheless a cause for concern. Crime has decreased in the area after University and New Haven police increased their patrols, according to Perotti. Perotti reassured worried students that the crime situation is "very quiet over there right now." Blake Kendall, SY '97, who lives in a fraternity house on Lake Place, says that although there is still some crime in the area, Yale and New Haven police "have really cracked down in the last six months."

Although moving out of their colleges for a year may be an inconvenience and cause additional safety concerns for many Berkeleyites, some students agree with the Administration that relocation is the most efficient way to complete the renovations.

"I think relocating people for a year is a good idea," Andy Sinton, BK '00. "If they only do renovations during summers, they run the risk of not doing a complete job."

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