Jon Salacuse (Whetstone staff writer)

The Whetstone/ Cochise Lucas

On and off campus living both have their ups and downs.

It is the freedom and cleanliness that makes living off campus more enjoyable for senior Ryan Hayes.

For his first two years at Wesley, Hayes lived in the dorms.

He then moved off campus and found that it was quieter for studying and gave him more freedom.

“The bathrooms could be an issue in the dorms,” Hayes said, “especially if people are not clean.”

Students have also found living off campus to be cheaper.

“You don’t have to buy the meal plan,” said senior Erick Huber. “You do need to have some sort of income. You can’t let bills pile up either.”

Roommates may argue about who pays how much.

Off-campus residents say they make sure the bills are evenly divided.

Some disagree about the price.

“There are no hidden costs such as bills and utilities living on campus,” said senior Greg Migot.

There is also the responsibility of maintaining the house or apartment.

“In the dorms, you have people around who clean up after you and such,” said senior Kaitlyn Balance. “But off campus you’re on your own.”

Some off campus students make chore charts and assign their roommates to certain tasks.

Junior Terri Jackson and senior Deanna Cox both think that students living off campus should have a lot of locks on the doors and windows.

Being on campus is safer, Jackson said.

“Never walk home at night,” the girls said, “regardless of your gender.”

There are perks to living in the dorms, though.

“They provide the furniture,” said senior Brian Orthman, “as opposed to an apartment, where you have to move in the furniture.”