A housing fair in the Brickyard Tuesday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. attracted students to stop by and check out possible off-campus living options. Many apartment complexes set up booths inside a large white tent to advertise their accommodations.
Lenwood House, a lifelong education student, walked into the fair just to get floor plans, but walked out with more. After his venture into the fair, House took away T-shirts, Koozies, binders, bags and food.
“Just about every apartment that was close by campus [was there],” he said. “They were giving information and free stuff to get you to stay there.”
House said he is considering making a switch in living arrangements after the housing fair.
“I live in University Commons, [but] I like Village Green, Centennial Village and Campus Crossing,” he said. “They have the amount of bedrooms I am looking for, the rates are lower and the area is nice. It’s close to campus.”
Chelsey Barkley, a sophomore in textile and apparel management, dressed like Dorothy from “The Wizard of Oz,” to promote Campus Edge’s slogan, “There’s no place like home.”
Barkley said Campus Edge wants people to think of their apartments as home.
“We should have the best amenities in Raleigh,” Barkley said, including two pools, a theatre with stadium seating, a gym and a game room.
Jill Mullins, a part-time worker at University Suites, likes the fair because “it gives students an opportunity to see what is available in the community for off-campus housing.”
The property manager for University Suites, Renee Johnson, said she likes the exposure the fair gives to students.
“It gives [us] an opportunity to reach out. People see us, and we see them,” Johnson said. Johnson’s booth involved a Wheel of Fortune-type game with prizes such as pizza, Bojangles coupons and candy.
Some of the students, like freshman in political science Travis Wettroth, went for the free stuff.
“I already figured out where I’m living and paid for the lease, but it was extremely nice that they gave me free food and T-shirts,” Wettroth said.
According to Wettroth, some of the apartment complexes seemed a little extravagant.
“There was one called College Edge and I would definitely not want to live there because it was insane, and I don’t really think that a college student could afford to live in that kind of place,” Wettroth said.
Campus Police even made an appearance with its own booth.
“I don’t want to live in a police station next year,” Wettroth said, jokingly. “I wasn’t really aware of its purpose, and it didn’t make me feel any safer about where I’m living next year. It was nice though. I got a free pen from them.”
