Georgia State University has finished their most recent project, converting Turner Field into the new GSU stadium.
The building of this stadium not only increases the cost of living for the residents of Peoplestown but leaves students without dorms.
The millions of dollars used to rebuild Turner Field could have been used to house the 53,000 students of GSU. Now, students are given the chance to volunteer their single rooms to have a guest, and in exchange, the students will be refunded a portion of their tuition. To those who do not wish to volunteer their rooms still may end up with an unwanted guest. Many students have called and/or emailed the university asking to specify the time period in which the guest will be staying, and no specific answers have been given.
University housing also stated that due to too many students requesting on campus housing there might be someone staying in the living room area of the University Commons. If we wish to have multiple guests or to cook the student in the living room area will be disturbed.
While some students are getting bunk beds in their rooms many others will be housed in the nearby Sheraton Hotel because they were assigned to rooms that were unavailable. They will have to stay there until there is available space on campus.
Students are outraged by the school’s priorities being out of order, and they have taken to social media outlets to express their anger.
GSU housing is pulling off the biggest finesse in Atlanta history right now‼️
— 7 days until 2021 (@wayoferic_) August 15, 2017
https://twitter.com/classicjpg/status/897487830892597248
The University says this a direct result of overbooking the dorms , but students believe this is a result of attempting to gain more funds for the stadium. Students have been guaranteed on campus housing while being placed in a local hotel. Instead of giving the students the single bed rooms and gaining tuition from only one student the school will get tuition money from two students from a single room.
Yes, we do have a brand new stadium, but is it worth sacrificing the living quality of on campus living for the students or the gentrification of a neighborhood? It is certainly not. We should not be penalized for the mistakes of the university. Students were not notified about the overbooking of dorms until after the first housing payment was due, so students who wish to leave GSU housing can not. The affected students are stressed due to having to make last minute decisions about their housing.
