As renovations of their college progress, Saybrook students wonder if there will be enough room for everyone.

The first two colleges to be renovated have attracted a higher number of students to live on-campus, causing more students than before to be annexed. Saybrook has not requested any annex space this year because administrators are hopeful all students will be able to fit in the renovated college, which will offer a few more beds than there were in the old Saybrook.

“Saybrook has never had annex space,” Saybrook master Mary Miller said. “We are cautiously optimistic. We have hoped that given just a tiny enhancement of space that we would be able to do as we have always done.”

But the numbers are tight. Currently, about 280 people live in Swing Space and newly renovated Saybrook will fit 287 people. About four rooms will be used for graduate fellows and medical purposes, leaving just more than 280 beds for students.

Requests for housing in Berkeley and Branford colleges increased after those colleges were renovated. Berkeley annexed its nearly 30 sophomores in Durfee Hall the year after renovations, ensuring juniors a slot in their college.

Although some Saybrook students are wondering if their college will have room to house everyone who wants to live on campus, college administrators are optimistic that there will be enough room. In an informal e-mail survey about housing, a number of Saybrook students comparable to past years wrote they planned to live on-campus next year.

Miller said it would be ideal to keep all sophomores, juniors and seniors that want to live on-campus in the college.

Saybrook Dean Paul McKinley did not request any annex space at the end of last semester when college deans turned in requests for additional housing. McKinley declined to comment last night.

Sasha Waring ’03, a member of Saybrook’s housing committee, said the main concern for many students will be the new configuration of the rooms. In the past, most sophomores lived in quads and juniors and seniors lived in singles. This year there are suites for two, three, four and even 12 students. Some juniors and seniors now will likely live in suites as opposed to singles.

Saybrook already held the drawing for the 12-person sophomore suite and will distribute the rest of the rooms after break.

Waring said he does not know what will happen if on-campus housing demand is more than Saybrook can hold.

“Saybrook has never had to refuse housing to anyone,” Waring said. “I don’t think it will happen this year.”

Dean of Administrative Affairs John Meeske has said the allocation of Old Campus annex space to colleges is flexible, meaning that Saybrook could still get annex space, if needed.

After spending a year in Swing Space, some Saybrook sophomores said they will be unhappy if they are annexed.

“I would prefer to live in Saybrook, certainly,” Dan Kelly ’03 said. “It would kind of stink to be annexed.”

Bridget Allen ’03 said she cannot imagine the college would annex juniors because that would mean some members of the Class of 2003 would only get to live in Saybrook their senior year.

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