Juliette Des Rosiers ’26
Editor-In-Chief
When Caroline Crosnoe ’28 moved into the Claremont Collegiate Apartments this fall, she expected to open the door to the two-room apartment with a shared bathroom and kitchenette that she had been allotted during housing selection, enough to accommodate her and her roommate, Cassidy Miller ’28. However, she arrived to find a one-room apartment with only one bed. At first, Crosnoe was told there was nothing CCA management or the Office of Residential Life could do to help that day, since it was a weekend. However, after a stern phone call, Crosnoe was provided another bed in the apartment’s living area, with no promises of eventual alternative housing.
Crosnoe’s experience was only one of multiple hiccups with CCA housing this fall, following a complicated housing selection process in the spring, which included the housing portal crashing. With no remaining doubles to choose from, Crosnoe and her roommate went to the Office of Residential Life, who placed them in a CCA apartment.
“We were obviously upset that we weren’t going to be [living] on campus, but we had made our peace [with it],” she said. “Then August comes, and I get to CCA. I was pretty excited because I’d have my own room, and Cassidy and I both have our cars. I walk in, and there’s one room and one bed for the two of us. I obviously freaked out.”
Crosnoe and Miller were placed in the off-campus apartment despite multiple on-campus singles being available. Crosnoe noted that, if this information had been available, she and Miller would have opted for on-campus housing. Emily Mito ’28, who was pushed into CCA housing due to a similar issue, echoed this sentiment.
“[As] sophomores, we’re just waiting for what other people do and then rely on what happens on that day of registration,” she said. “I would definitely [have liked to] stay on campus in a single, even at the moment of registration, [if my roommate and I] could have just split, but we didn’t think there [were] still singles remaining.”
Crosnoe and Miller were able to move into on-campus housing in mid-September following a meeting with Res Life. Crosnoe noted that, without her initial persistence and getting their parents involved, it did not seem that the office would take urgent action, even though Miller was sleeping in their living room.
Crosnoe explained that the most frustrating aspect of their situation was waiting for the Room Change Request Form to open. Crosnoe and Miller were left in a limbo, waiting to submit a formal request, despite the advance notice from Res Life that the move onto campus would be possible.
“The fact that we had to stay there for a month is really what gets me,” Crosnoe said. “I know a bunch of people that were [involuntarily] in CCA from Pitzer, and were all moved out either before they got to Claremont or within three days [of moving in]. I understand that [Scripps and Pitzer are] two different institutions, but I don’t understand why we were there for a month.”
Crosnoe and Miller were not the only students who encountered difficulties when moving into CCA. Natalia Uslander ’27 was dismayed to find her allocated CCA single without a bed. She said, however, that the CCA management she spoke to was quick to fix the issue.
“I definitely felt that there was care in that moment, because the person who I asked about it immediately was very concerned and pulled out her phone and was frantically messaging someone about it,” Uslander said. “[They were] definitely apologetic and focused on fixing the situation.”
Crosnoe explained that the CCA facilities team delivered a bed for Miller within a few hours, but noted that their experience highlighted the broader issue of a breakdown in communication between Scripps Residential Life and CCA management.
“Supposedly, there is not a lot of communication between the two, which I can understand,” Crosnoe said. “I don’t hold a lot of hatred for Res Life, but I do think that they dropped the ball, and there’s so much that could have been done to get it going faster. It’s also frustrating because … they do generally advertise guaranteed on-campus housing [at Scripps].”
Uslander also submitted a request to move on campus, which was denied. She commented on how, even though the wait for over a month was disheartening, she received better communication when she went to the Office of Residential Life and requested more information in person.
Students at CCA benefit from more private spaces including spacious studio-style apartments and personal kitchenettes. Mito highlighted the kitchenette as a primary appeal of CCA, because she can cook in her own space, inviting friends and neighbors to cook and eat together. She also explained that living at CCA can be relaxing with students forming microconnections and helping each other out in informal communities.
“I feel like it depends on your personality, but I really like the quiet environment there,” she said. “Last year, I lived in Dorsey by the pathway, and almost every weekend [there were] parties outside with people screaming, running, or blasting music. That never happens [at CCA]. It’s really nice.”
Uslander said that, even though the individual rooms are very nice, they are disappointed by the lack of community spaces at CCA.
“The rooms are nice and spacious,” Uslander said. “I live in a single, so I have my own kitchenette and bathroom, [which] is huge. [But] I wouldn’t say that [the building] invites community. The way that it’s laid out, there are only a couple of community spaces.”
Students also expressed concerns about the safety and accessibility of the facilities. Crosnoe and Mito both noted how there is only one elevator across the five buildings and no way to access the third floor but on foot.
“CCA as a whole is inaccessible, especially when half the appeal of the school is that it’s so small and that you can get everywhere,” Crosnoe said.
Uslander also spoke to the lack of accessibility to CCA from campus. “For a student at Scripps, everything is so accessible on campus [since] it’s so small,” they said. “There is almost a stigma around it, and [CCA] seems much farther than it actually is, [which] makes it feel more isolating too.”
Mito, who does not have a car, commented on the shuttle provided to transport residents from the Scripps campus to CCA.
“On weekdays, I have no problem with it, I think it’s punctual and reliable,” she said. “But on weekends, it’s not functioning, and I just don’t rely on the shuttle.”
In light of ongoing housing issues and student experiences living at CCA, Crosnoe argued that it is the responsibility of the Office of Residential Life to strengthen communication with CCA management and improve perceptions of CCA.
“I think it’s on Res Life, because, [even though] CCA is kind of its own entity … Res Life is connected to Scripps, and Scripps is what I’m paying for, and Scripps is the college I’m attending,” she said.
Photo Courtesy of Kate Prince ’29
