The source that I am introducing in this blog post is a newspaper article from The Eau Claire Leader Telegram from April 14, 1967 where UW- Eau Claire students held a protest against the student housing code for the next school year.  I selected this source because of its relevance in students wanting to live off campus but the school code was not allowing off-campus living to happen. This article was able to identify change in the off campus living situations of college students and the need for change to allow students to live off campus.

In the rhetorical context concerning this article the article uses a visual rhetoric to show a large group of students holding signs and protesting. This usage of visual rhetoric backs up his claim that a student body was protesting on campus about the university housing code in which then builds to his ethos as an accurate reporter. He also uses rhetorical distance in order to establish a non-intimate relationship with his reader, which further builds up his ethos as a non-bias reporter, who reports on facts alone and not feelings.

In this article approximately “200 Eau Claire State University students gathered in front of Schofield Hall Thursday afternoon to protest the proposed student housing code for the next school year” (p. 3). These students were protesting the fact that for the fall of 1967 the code would “require all students, with the exception of seniors or those of age, to live in University dormitories”, however as indicated by the Housing code “it excludes married students and those living at home” (p. 3). The reasoning behind the new code was because of the fact that enough housing would be available to students up to their junior level due to the shortage of students attending the university in the fall. Dr. Haas, president of the University in 1967, was also at this rally and represented the universities administration. His statements to the Leader Telegram indicated that the new housing code was being enacted due to “the simple fact that the dormitories were built with borrowed funds and we have to fill the dormitories to pay for them” (p. 3). The main purpose of this rally was to inform the general student population about the student housing code changes that would be taking place and to also have the administration to speak as well.

In this article it is clear that the student body is upset at the fact that University Housing will not allow students to live off-campus. In response to this new code students protested, spoke out against the new code, and urged other students to boycott. These responses clearly indicate resentment towards the housing code. I believe that this article is accurately portraying how students would respond since they as young adults could not chose to live where they saw fit.  I personally would be upset if I didn’t have to the right to decide on where to live. The reasoning behind this protest and rally was to engage and to inform the student body about the changes to the Housing Code.

In understanding how the shift from on campus to off campus housing gradually took place this article shows that during 1967 resentment towards the code showed an affirmative push for students wanting to move off-campus. It indicates by the students actions of forming protests against the housing code that students wanted more freedoms and more choices to where they chose to live. This article provides essential material in understanding the shift. This article indicates that the general student body wanted a change to the housing regulations for living on campus and where so adamant about it that they protested and encouraged others to even boycotts the school entirely. By establishing a year in mind of 1967 and understanding that the students wanted the university to allow more off campus living, allows me to better pinpoint the time era in which off campus living was allowed for most of the student body. Although this article indicates that certain changes were in the process of allowing more off-campus living, there is still yet unanswered question concerning did student involvement change the administrations ideas about off campus living. I would like to from this point search for information regarding off campus living from 1967 to 1990. I believe that in this general time frame I would be able to find a more precise point in time were the administration changed the policy on living on campus and in doing so allowed for an open free market of college housing.

So far in this research having started in 2013 and working my way back I have discovered that in 2013 that on campus housing required “freshman and sophomores” to live on campus while in 1967 it required those who were not 21, seniors, married or living at home to live on campus. In the time frame at least from what the article indicates there was progress in housing regulations allowing more students to live off campus. Overall, I believe at this point in my research a large student body was upset at living on campus and having to follow rules and regulations. These individuals wanted more freedom and more choice in how they wanted to live there life, I mean who doesn’t, I sure do. In order to have these freedoms students gathered and protested the propose code at least voicing their opinion that the students weren’t happy and a change need to be made. The research, however, indicates that in 46 years changes were made concerning off campus living and 1967 could be the dawn of change to students living off campus.

Work cited : http://access.newspaperarchive.com/eau-claire-leader/1967-04-14?tag=university+housing&rtserp=tags/?pc=8486&psi=103&pci=7&pep=university-housing&psb=relevance.

The first source that I will be introducing to this research project is the UW-Eau Claire catalog for the year 2013 – 2014. I chose this source because it is the most familiar to students about the current living conditions surrounding housing situations. I also want to understand the current affairs of student housing and by working from this current era and researching backwards I can see how things may have progressively changed.

According to the UW-Eau Claire catalog for 2013 – 2014 it is “required that all freshmen and sophomores except for those who are married, living with parents or guardians, or veterans of the United States Armed Forces, are required to live in University-operated residence halls when such accommodations are available” (pg. 21). This article also describes those who are staffed at such these housing conditions mainly pertaining to the hall director and resident assistance but provide limited information about the rules and regulations that these hall directors and assistance provide. Living on campus also requires students to information that this article provides is the participate in the “contract meal plan”(pg. 21). Finally this article informs the reader in the process in which to obtain more detailed information about housing by contacting the Housing and Residence Life Office.

This article provides general knowledge pertaining to living on campus. It describes in little detail as possible to get the point across about those who are considered for living on campus. The article argues that each student that attends UW-Eau Claire must live on campus and also adhere to the rules and regulations in place at such dormitories. It also strictly states that these students must also participate in the meal program as well if living on Campus. Overall, this article provides the reader with little information regarding housing and redirects the student to seek out advice and further knowledge from the Housing and Residence Life Office.

I believe that this policy is not enforced then because of myself having lived off campus as a sophomore and also other students who are sophomores that have also lived off campus. The article is minutely informative but provides another source to pursue in order to get more concrete information regarding policies, the different dormitories, and other regulations associated with living on campus. Although this article provided a small amount of information it did provide the current living conditions that need to be met while attending UW-Eau Claire. This information is important because it shows that as of the year 2014 students as freshmen or sophomore according to the article must live on campus.

In regards to requiring sophomores and freshmen requiring to live on campus it begs to question did the University at one time in point require that students live on campus for all 4 years. If this policy of 4 years possibly shifted then I would be able to find the exact date when there possibly was a shift from campus living to off-campus living. This date if retrieved would give me more vital information about at what year and possibly why students decided to migrate to there current location surrounding Water Street. I believe although this article provided a small amount of information about my question it, however, geared me in a better approach on what I need to look for in my research and also provided me with another resource such as the Housing and Residence Life Office. From this point I would like to first get more information from the Housing and Residence Life Office and see if they have more information available and if they have older information about this particle topic requiring more than 2 years of on campus living.

The research question that I am proposing to investigate is the housing conditions and housing restrictions concerning UW-Eau Claire students starting in the early 1920s to the current status surrounding UW-Eau Claire housing. I am interested in mainly learning the shift from UW dorm housing to the area surrounding Eau Claire mainly pertaining from 1st street to 9th street and Water Street to Lake Street. I would like to investigate how the limits and restrictions of males and females living conditions and the eventual progress that UW-Eau Claire. I am also interested in this information because I lived in the dorms and eventually shifted to living in the central college location of town.

This question is important because of the large portion of Eau Claire is University students and their eventual migration could be the influence of economic progress associated around Water Street and stores that cater to this general populous within the surrounding area. Another reason that this question is important is that many students have either lived in the dorms or will eventual live off campus. The information that I am doing research on will hopefully better understand the shift of student living conditions and the pursuance of living off campus or remaining on campus.