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| Housing Fair gives showcases better living options to students |
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| Written by Jason Boyd | ||||
| Wednesday, 08 April 2009 06:57 PM | ||||
 Biology graduate student Angela Fornell talks to Cascades Apartments representative Yolanda Matinez at The Shorthorn Housing Fair in the University Center Palo Duro Lounge. An estimated two thousand students attended the event. (The Shorthorn: Stephanie Goddard) Math junior Mary Anderson said she’s found from experience it’s important to research housing options. Housing Fair 2009 helped with the legwork, she said. About 2,000 attendees, including Anderson, visited with 38 on- and off-campus housing services hosted by theshorthorn.com 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Thursday in the University Center Palo Duro Lounge. The smell of popcorn, a saddle and cowboys and bunny suits welcomed students to the fair. Anderson, a transfer student, lived with her parents while attending Tarrant County College. She wanted to live on her own and moved out when she came to the university, she said. She looked for housing close to campus, hoping to walk and save money on parking permits. She said she wishes she had looked beyond the apartment’s proximity because she spends most of her day at school. Her lease ends in June and she gathered information at the fair to help her make the next move. English junior Alicia Sisemore said she wants to move within a couple of weeks. She said she lives in the heart of The Parks at Arlington traffic and the daily 20-minute drive to school is too much.  Nursing sophomore Cait Dack opens an Easter egg from Maverick Place Easter Bunny representative at the Shorthorn Housing Fair in the University Palo Duro Lounge. The Easter eggs contain slips of paper redeemable for free t-shirts and other prizes at Maverick Place. (The Shorthorn: Stephanie Goddard) “I’m just looking for something new and close,” she said. Journalism sophomore Joanne Foster is on the hunt for a new living place to shorten her commute from east Fort Worth. “I’ve been having a lot of fun,” she said at the fair. “And on top of that you learn a lot.” Fair representatives gave prizes for on-site games like spin-the-wheel and BlackJack. Photography senior Matt Redden is looking for an apartment for next year. He lives on campus now but wants something different. “Something other than a meal plan,” he said. He wants to move close enough to visit his parents in Saginaw but still be able to commute to UTA in 10 to 15 minutes. He said he believes he could find the right spot at the fair. Caroline Bell, TXU Energy Community Relations representative, spoke to attendees about how to cut down on energy costs in an apartment. She was scheduled to speak to the crowd but couldn’t be heard over the fair’s clamor. Instead, she gave one-on-one tips. Colleen Hurtzig, The Shorthorn student advertising manager, said April is the best time to host such a fair, because leases will likely end in May for many students, so they’ll be looking for help to find a new pad. Because of the success, Hurtzig said she would like to see the fair every year. “I wish this was around when I was a freshman,” she said. InformationAir conditioningKeep the temperature at 78 degrees or higher, use ceiling fans to offset excess heat. Change air filters at least once every three months. Water heater If self-controlled, set it at 120 degrees. If the apartment controls it, speak to the building manager. A 10 percent reduction in water heater temperature results in a 13 percent cost reduction. Lighting/Appliances Turn off unnecessary appliances when not in use. Unplug the computer, printer, TV and cell phone charger. Some devices drain energy without being turned on. Refrigeration Let leftovers cool before refrigerating. Allow one inch for circulation around the refrigerator. Food preparation Grill outdoors as often as possible. Oven and stove heat can raise the indoor temperature, thus adding to the air conditioning cost. Use microwaves and slow cookers when possible. Use glass or ceramic pots and pans, since they allow a 10 degree reduction in oven settings. Dishes and clothing Use full loads whenever possible. For clothes, use cold water. Cold water actually cleans clothes better. Air dry dishes. Don’t overload a clothes dryer, air dry when possible. Source: Caroline Bell, TXU Energy Community Relations representative Views: 1163 | E-mail
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 23 June 2009 02:02 PM ) | ||||
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