Logo by Haley Laningham
The great housing crisis of 2016 has come and gone. Pepp Probz is here to give you a short synopsis if you’ve already found housing under a rock.
We do not live in a college town, my friends. A sad reality of this fact is that housing is a yearly struggle.
Living in Malibu is no walk on the beach. A home in Pepperdine’s immediate vicinity must be occupied by approximately 74 students in order to average to a reasonable monthly price. So for the apartments that are willing to rent to students (cough cough, looking at you Villa Malibu) there is some serious competition.
There is a primary rule to finding off-campus housing: You have to have an in. Being Facebook friends with that one guy from your freshman year religion class isn’t going to cut it. We mean some serious recon friendship building. You better get in there at least 8 months prior and make besties if you don’t want to be homeless next year.
The unfortunate alternative is residing on campus. But, sadly, there are more drawbacks to this plan than initially meets the eye. On-campus housing for upperclassmen is one of the most competitive events on the West Coast, and it’s not for the faint of heart. A fusion of The Hunger Games and a lottery could meet about half of the intensity of the yearly campus housing rush. A reality show could be made about this event.
Left in its wake are the panicked students who are forced to reconsider the merit of tent life when we all remember that there’s not nearly enough housing for all those who desire it. For those unlucky afternoon housing lottery recipients, investing in an RV to park in Rho or creating a tent colony on Point Mugu start to seem like reasonable options.
Alas, the great migration through Malibu Canyon must occur for these unlucky souls. With a morning drive that’s sure to test your coffee-holding dexterity and afternoon traffic that requires an investment in Spotify, valley living is not usually preferred. You know what they say, though: Desperation makes the heart grow fonder.
Whatever your misfortune, Pepperdine Probz wishes you luck in the amazing race of Pepperdine living. May the odds be ever in your housing favor.
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