The University has officially taken the satellite dorm off the table in favor of Ryan and Mulledy halls as student housing options, administrators confirmed Monday. This decision comes on the heels of a student referendum that rejected the satellite dorm option.
GUSA President Nate Tisa (SFS ’14) and Vice President Adam Ramadan (SFS ’14) told the Voice on Sept. 8 that the University was considering opening Georgetown housing on an off-campus site. Zach Singer (SFS ’15), Tisa’s chief of staff, and Rosie Lauricella (MSB ‘14), director of professional development for The Corp, led a campaign to create a student referendum against this decision.
Despite the administration’s negative reaction to the referendum, the campaign went forward. “GUSA took risks, it was bold,” Tisa said. “Even among my staff, there was contention as to whether this was a good idea. It wasn’t easy.”
The One Campus, One Georgetown campaign was successful. 93 percent of the 2966 students who participated voted against the satellite dorm option. The University now acknowledges the role that student action played in the decision. “The only way this works is if students stay engaged,” Lauralyn Lee, associate vice president of community engagement and strategic initiatives, said. “Our goal is to be as transparent as possible.”
