Housing Guide 2010 Pages 13-24

Spring 2010 Housing Guide The Mirror - 13

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MAKE THE MOST OF YOUR COLLEGE EXPERIENCE.

STUDENT ACTIVITIES OFFICE www.unco.edu/studentactivities

(970)351-2817

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ERIC HEINZn e w s @ u n c m i r r o r . c o m

Small acts, such as turn-ing off the lights when leav-ing a room, keeping thethermostat below 70degrees and insulating win-dows, are all common tricksto saving money on energybills. But sometimes, theprices just keep climbing.

On a college student’sbudget, forking over $50 to$80 a month is a hefty chunkof income. A common causeof rising energy bills forUNC students is due to thehouses near campus thatare extremely difficult toinsulate, leaving studentsno choice but to barricadefrom the cold with plasticand blankets. Energy bills inColorado are typically high-est from the months ofNovember to March.

Steve Reed, owner ofProperty Technica Inc., saidit is the people who live inthe residence who decide

their bill’s cost. “People who live in the

place really do control theprices they’re dealt,” Reedsaid. “The older the proper-

ty is, the more it is going tocost to heat it. If you con-serve and take measures tobe con-s c i o u sabout it,like takingq u i c ks h o w e r sand makingsure theheat is at anappropriatet e m p e r a -ture, it’sgoing tomake at r e m e n -dous difference in howmuch (tenants) pay.”

Jim Bartling, manager ofpublic affairs for Atmos Energyin Kansas, said there are acopious amount of things —that are low-cost or no-cost —students can do to lower theirprices; most of them simply

involve common sense. “On a sunny day during

the winter, have the drapesopen and use the free sun-shine to warm your houseduring the day,” Bartlingsaid. “Everyone loves tohave a warm home, but youhave to keep the energyspent in mind.”

Bartling also talkedabout some quick thingsstudents can do to help keeptheir heating bill low.

“A lot of people have thetemperature on their waterheaters too high, and thatcan be kept down,” he said.“If you can turn the temper-ature down on the heater,you’ll save money. Whenyou conserve gas by usingyour furnace less, you actu-ally use less electricity.”

Roberta Grantz, the land-lord for HUG Housing, saidthe members who pay thebills need to share a com-mon goal to keep the bill at

its lowest.She said at e n a n tshould beas comfort-able as theycan, but tobe eco-n o m i c a l l yand ecolog-ically con-scientiousof howmuch ener-gy is used.

“People need to be mind-ful of what utilities can bemodified while they’re goneduring class or for the week-end,” Grantz said. “Thereshould always be a checklistbefore you leave. Organizeyour utilities, so you cankeep the bills at their lowest.”

14 - The Mirror Housing Guide Spring 2010

CHELSEY URDAHL | THE MIRROR

Energy bills from Greeley energy providers Atmos and Xcel. Billscan be a difficult payment for college students while trying tomanage school. Bills can sometimes pile up unnoticed.

High energy bills may stifle budget


“People who live inthe place really docontrol the pricesthey’re dealt. The

older the property is,the more it is going to

cost to heat it. —— SStteevvee RReeeedd,, oowwnneerr ooffPPrrooppeerrttyy TTeecchhnniiccaa IInncc..


Tips Courtesy of AtmosEnergy:

A) The most commonplaces where warm airescapes or cold air enters areshown by the arrows on thediagram: doors and windows;cracks along floors, ceilings;ducts; a fireplace; plumbingpenetrations; fans and vents;and electrical outlets.

B) Insulate windowsusing storm or thermal win-dows or double paned glass.A less-expensive alternativeis plastic sheeting, whichcan be fastened temporarilyover doors and windows.Caulk around the outside ofthe windows, doors andother openings, such aspipes or ducts, using caulk-ing and weather stripping.

C) Seal leaks around win-dows, doors and otheropenings, such as pipes orducts, using caulking andweather stripping.

D) Run the washingmachine and clothes dryerwith a full load. Ensure thatthe dryer is properly ventedto the outside.

E) Plumbing and pipingpenetrations in the roofand on the sides of yourhome can cause some ofthe worst air leaks. Insulatearound these openings,including gaps around thechimney, using appropri-ate gaskets, flashing andcaulking techniques.

F) Put water-flow restric-tors in showerheads andfaucets to reduce your hotwater use. Water-savingshowerheads and faucetaerators can save up to 50percent on your hot wateruse. Also, fix any leaking

faucets; a drip once everysecond wastes 400 galons ofwater a year.

G) Check your attic todetermine if it has the rec-ommended levels of insula-tion for your region. Checkthe crawl space under thehouse or the basement, too.Adding flooring insulation isone of the better ways tolower energy use and savemoney.

H) During the winter,

turn down the thermostat atnight and when you’re awayfrom home. Set your ther-mostat to 70 degreesFahrenheit during the dayand 58 degrees when awayfrom home for more than afew hours.

I) Install a programma-ble thermostat to turndown temperatures auto-matically without sacrific-ing comfort. Lowering your

thermostat from 70 degreesto 65 degrees at night, forexample, saves about 10percent or $10 for every$100 of heating costs. Yoursavings in the first year willpay for the programmablethermostat.

J) Close vents and doorsin unused rooms and closecabinet and closet doors onoutside walls, which canleak a great deal of air.

Ways to contol monthly gas bills

COURTESY OF ATMOS | THE MIRROR

As an incoming fresh-man, did it ever feel

like there were so manychoices as to which dorm tolive in? Well, after the firstyear, there are even morechoices with the wide array ofoff-campus housing. Somepeople love it, while othersprefer the dorms. Just likeeverything, there are pros andcons to both.

Living on your own is a bigstep in life, and living offcampus helps create inde-pendence, which comes withmore responsibility. Whenliving in a residence hall, it’snot that big of a deal because

students or parents pay all ofthe bills at the beginning ofthe semester. The dorm ispaid for and meals are takencare of.

So what happens whenstudents live off campus?Depending on where theylive, it is important to remem-ber that rent is due at the firstof every month, and on top ofthat, so is Excel and perhapsother utilities. Then, the bigquestion for a lot of collegestudents is, “Who’s going tocook for me?”

Sorry guys, Ramen noo-dles and Easy Mac aren’tgoing to cut it every night. Ofcourse, you still have theoption of purchasing a mealplan, but sometimes you mayfind it more convenient tojust eat at home.

On the positive side of off-campus living, there are noquiet hours. Not unless they’recreated, anyway. You set the

rules. What’s better than livingsome place where the onlyrules you follow are your ownand your roommates’?

Speaking of roommates,yes the majority of studentswho live off campus have atleast one roommate, but youusually have your own room.That means privacy. We alllove privacy, and sometimesthat’s impossible to havewhile living in a residencehall. Having your own bed-room means you can sneakoff and have some timealone to yourself. It alsomeans that you may nothave to go to the library tofind a quiet place to study.

Another big positive is thatthere are no more communitybathrooms, and sometimes,you will even have your ownbathroom. So, if you plan onliving off campus, go aheadand throw those shower shoesin the trash.

A lot of students wonderif it’s cheaper to live on oroff campus. There isn’t acorrect answer for that ques-tion. If you live off campus,the cost of rent might becheaper than living in adorm, but most studentshave to pay cable, Internet,utilities and groceries, whichcan be the same price, lessor even more expensive thanresiding on-campus.

It is wise to try both.Students are typically in col-lege for at least four years, sowhy not experience living offcampus for at least a year. It’ssomething that needs to bedone someday. Gaining thenecessary experience to livingindependently can only hap-pen through getting out thereand trying it out.

—Jacqueline Lomax, is ajunior journalism major anda staff reporter for The Mirror


Trying both housing options helps

K) Because warm air rises,air registers can direct warmair across the floor. Avoidblocking vents and airreturns with furniture, arearugs or draperies. Have yourheating contractor inspectand seal ductwork to ensureadequate airflow and elimi-nate loss of heated air. It’snot uncommon for ducts toleak as much as one-fifth ofthe air passing through them.

L) Replace incandescentlights with compact fluores-cent lamps, known as CFLs.These lamps use two-thirdsless electricity than a con-ventional incandescent bulb

and lasts up to 10 timeslonger.

M) Close dampers onunused fireplaces. Leavingthe damper open is likekeeping a 48-inch windowopen during the winterbecause it allows warm airto go up the chimney.

N) To let in the sun’swarmth on sunny days,open draperies and blinds;close them at night to insu-late against cold air fromoutside.

O) Have major appli-ances serviced annually toensure safety, reliability andefficiency.

Gas furnaces and appli-ances should be inspected

by a qualified appliance-repair or heating-servicecompany. Also, install a car-bon monoxide detector.Choose one that’s approvedby a national testing labora-tory. When buying newappliances, compare energyefficiency ratings and annu-al operating costs.

P) If radiators are locatednear cold walls, place asheet of aluminum foilbetween the radiator andthe wall to reflect heat intothe room.

Q) Insulate electricalswitches and outlets withfoam gaskets. These inexpen-sive, pre-cut gaskets help tostop cold air from entering

your home through switchand outlet plates, particularlyon outside walls.

R) Change or clean fur-nace filters once a monthduring the heating season.Furnaces consume lessenergy if they “breathe”more easily.

S) Set your water heater’stemperature at 120 degrees.Lowering the water heater’ssetting could cut yourwater-heating cost by 20percent.

T) Use ventilating fansin bathrooms and kitchensparingly in cold weather.In just one hour, these fanscan extract a household ofwarm air.

Keeping harsh Colorado weather out of your houseTips from Page 15

Jacqueline

LOMAX

[email protected]



Faculty members joinstudents in residencyJORDANE HARTBAUER

n e w s @ u n c m i r r o r . c o m

UNC Housing andResidence Life introduced a newprogram this academic yearwith faculty members living inresidence halls.

The Faculty in ResidenceProgram members are Mary

Angeline,an Englishprofessor;M a t tBirnbaum,a s s i s t a n tprofessorin highereducationand stu-d e n ta f f a i r sleadership;Lyda Ellis,

an instruction librarian andassistant professor of UniversityLibraries; Diane Gaede, an asso-ciate professor in recreation andtourism; Lee Anne Peck, a jour-

nalism pro-fessor, andG a r yS w a n s o n ,the MildredE n d o w e dChairmanin journal-i s m .Accordingto theH o u s i n ga n dResidencehandout,several of

the goals of the faculty in resi-dence program are to increaseinteraction outside of theclassroom between studentsand faculty, to provide role

models forthe stu-dents andto show-case theapproach-a b l enature ofthe faculty.

T h e r eare current-ly six faculty

members in residence. Four ofthe faculty members live onWest Campus, and two of themlive on Central Campus. Each ofthe members was selectedthrough an application and hir-ing process that occurred beforethe fall semester began.

Each of these facultymembers has becomeprominent parts of the resi-dence hall community inwhich they live. All of themare expected to be involvedin hall programming forabout 10 hours each month.They also create programsfor the students to partici-pate in both on and off cam-pus. Some of these activitieshave included movie nights,trips to Denver and weeklycreative writing groups.

Birnbaum is the faculty inresidence for Harrison Halland said he enjoys the expe-rience of living in a residencehall and being able to inter-act with students.

“I know that I get a deeperappreciation for the experienceundergraduate students have,the issues they face and howthey solve them,” Birnbaumsaid. “I learn as much as the stu-dents. This experience helps meto better understand undergrad-uate student culture.”

Matt Birnbaum an assistant pro-fessor in HigherEducation andStudent Affairs

Lyda Ellisan instructionlibrarian and anassistant pro-fessor for UNCLibraries

Lee Ann Peck a journalism pro-fessor.

ELIZABETH FEHRINGER | THE MIRROR

Kelsi Streich, a senior journalism major and a residentassistant, looks at standard forms and information atthe front desk in New North Hall.

Seniors in dormsenjoy their stayKRISTEN MARTIN

[email protected]

For some UNC seniors,living on campus has beenmore beneficial to them thanliving off campus.

Jamie Lloyd, a seniortheater education majorand president of theResidence HallAssociation, said she hasenjoyed her time on cam-pus. She has lived inMcCowen, Harrison, NewSouth Hall and is finishingcollege in Wiebking.

Lloyd said each buildingoffers different atmospheresand quirks.

“For Harrison, it was fas-cinating because it’s a build-ing without air conditioning,and people absolutely loveliving there,” Lloyd said said.

Lloyd also said Wiebking

Hall has been entertainingbecause when she walksthrough the lobby, there areat least six college studentsaround a piano singing“Phantom of the Opera.”

“You don’t hear that any-where else; it’s practically

See Seniors, Page 21

“For Harrison, it wasfascinating becauseit’s a building with-out air conditioning,and people absolute-ly love living there.

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straight out of a movie,”Llyod said. “I definitely rec-ommend living on campusfor at least two years to getthe full college experience.”

Lloyd said it was hard toknow what was going on whenshe lived off campus for twosummers, and living on campusfor all four years has helped withher student leadership jobs.

Kelsi Streich, a senior jour-

nalism major, is a resident assis-tant in New North Hall. She saidbeing a resident assistant is a lotof fun and she has met a lot ofpeople and friends.

“With living on campus, it iseasier to motivate yourself to goto class,” Streich said.

After a study abroad trip, shehad to live off campus for theremainder of a summer.

“I realized I missed livingon campus,” she said. “I want-ed to be in an awesome com-

munity and help students tothe best of my ability.”

Mark Drum, a senior the-ater education major, hasone more year to go and hestill loves living on campus asa resident assistant forTurner Hall. He said hisexperience has been reallygood and he has gained a lotof knowledge in studentleadership. Drum also saidhe never even consideredoff-campus living because he

does not own a car andbecause of the predeter-mined communities withinthe dorms.

He also said he still keeps intouch with most of the people hehas met in other residence halls.And as a resident assistant, hesaid has made even morefriends with staff and students.

“I thoroughly have enjoyedmy experience at UNC, and I feelthat it does bring education tolife,” Drum said.

Seniors from Page 18

Students talk about finishing college living on campus

Careful planing must go into pet ownership

There is nothing like com-ing home after a long day

and being greeted by a friendlytail wagging or an eager rubagainst your legs. Owning a petcan bring a lot of joy to yourlife, but it also requires a lot ofcommitment and responsibili-ty. The decision to buy a petshould not be made on a whimbut instead after much consid-eration and planning.

The first thing to consider istime. Pets need lots of atten-tion. Dogs need to be let out-side several times a day. If yourschedule requires you to beaway from home for most ofthe day, perhaps a pet, espe-cially a dog, isn’t for you. A veryimportant question you mustask yourself: Am I giving mypet the best life I can?

Another consideration isthe cost. The initial price of apet may not be very much —

sometimes even free — butover time, the cost of caring foryour pet adds up. Food, sup-plies, licensing and vet bills,including spaying/neuteringand vaccinations, are costlyand must be factored into yourmonthly budget.

The American Society forthe Prevention of Cruelty toAnimals estimates that a dogcosts about $580 to $875 eachyear, depending on the size ofthe dog, and that a cat costsabout $670 each year. Theaverage life span of a dog isabout 12 years. A cat’s averagelifespan is about 15 years. Thatends up being pretty expen-sive, but the emotional valueof a pet is immeasurable. Apet is not disposable, but aserious commitment, so pre-pare for a long-term.

Finding a decent place tolive is difficult as it is. Whenyou own a pet, it becomeseven harder. Many landlordsdo not allow pets at all, andthose who do often require anadditional deposit orincreased monthly rent. Spaceis also an issue, particularly ifyou have a dog. Is there amplespace and a yard for it to play?You must also consider how it

will affect you and your room-mates. If anyone in your lifehas allergies, perhaps a cat ordog isn’t for you.

There are alternatives tocats and dogs, of course, suchas fish, reptiles and rodents,which are less expensive tocare for and require less room.When choosing a pet, it’simportant to decide what willwork best for your lifestyle.

Pet ownership can enrichyour life a great deal. Itrequires care, commitmentand responsibility. It costsmoney, but you must decidewhat’s more important:money or an unconditionalbest friend?

—Chelsey Urdahl is a seniorjournalism major and a staffreporter for The Mirror.

Chelsey

URDAHL

[email protected]


JESSICA GATES n e w s @ u n c m i r r o r . c o m

Signing a lease is not amatter to be taken lightly andcan often be an intimidatingresponsibility for those whohaven’t done it before.Decoding important termsand aspects of leases can giveyou the confidence to putpen to paper without any lin-gering doubts.

Signing a lease signifies alegally binding agreementbetween tenants and theirlandlords and is designed toprotect the tenants’ rights andinterests, as well as the land-lord’s. This is not merely a flip-

pant act and if done in haste,can reap serious consequences.

Before signing a lease, it isrecommended to read all of itthoroughly and to clarify anyconfusing points.

According to the UNC Off-Campus Housing Web site,leases are subject to change,which means tenants canrequest certain disadvanta-geous parts be omitted fromthe lease by the landlord. Thesechanges can, and most oftenare, negotiated but must beapproved by both parties.

The number of people sign-ing the lease will affect theamount of rent, and this shouldbe clearly specified on the

agreement. Although rent isdivided among the individuals,all tenants are jointly responsi-ble for the fulfillment of thecontract, as well. This means ifany tenant does not pay rent orunexpectedly breaks the agree-ment and leaves, the other con-tract holders are responsiblefor the payment of that per-son’s rent. Financial responsi-bility is crucial.

Leases also outline termsof payment, which is the duedate of your rent. Manylandlords have a grace peri-od, and it is essential toknow when late fees will beadded to your bill.

According to www.rent-

law.com, in the event of ten-ants breaking their lease, boththe tenants and the landlordmust make efforts to find newtenants to re-rent the unit to.

The University ofNorthern Colorado offers allstudents legal counsel forany legal question, includingthose concerning leaseagreements. BrandonHoutchens is the StudentRepresentative Council LegalServices lawyer and can bereached at 970-351-4281.

For more advice and infor-mation concerning leases andsigning agreements, visitwww.unco.edu/studentactivi-ties/och/ltinfo.html.


Facts about leasing residential propertyGaining knowledge regarding renting may have benefits


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Documents

Housing Guide 2010 Pages 13-24