Students got their first glimpse of the new West Campus Apartments on Monday as the Department of Residential Life gave tours through two apartments in the new complex.
Residential Life hosted the open house, complete with punch and cookies, in the Kirby Smith lobby for interested students.
The apartments, opening in fall 2003, offer two-, three- and four-bedroom apartments and have an Internet hookup, phone line and cable connection in each room.
Each apartment comes equipped with a washer, dryer and kitchen.
The purpose of the tours was to offer students a firsthand look at the apartments before the week of applications begins, said Angela Koch, communications and conference coordinator.
Students applying to WCA must enter their name for a random drawing Feb. 17 through 24.
Although Residential Life will grant WCA apartments by random drawing, upperclassmen will have priority, Koch said.
Graduate students, seniors and juniors may apply at Grace King Hall Monday Feb. 17 to draw a number. Sophomores draw Feb. 18, and freshmen will draw Feb. 19.
Koch said each day will have a separate set of numbers from which students will draw.
“By having different sets of numbers, there’s no way a sophomore can outdraw a senior,” Koch said.
Students on the tour visited a three-bedroom and a two-bedroom apartment. Each bedroom comes furnished.
      “They’re a little smaller than I thought,” said Todd Washington, an architecture freshman. “But I’ll still try to get in.”
Although several students complained about the size, Koch said all the rooms are nearly identical in size. The design of the four-bedroom apartments are “carbon copies” of the ones in the East Campus Apartments, she said.
WCA, like ECA, consists of 12 buildings and one activity center. There are 60 four-bedroom apartments, 56 three-bedroom apartments and 40 two-bedrooms apartments.
The four-bedroom apartments cost $2,279 per semester and three-bedroom apartments cost $2,344 per semester, compared to an average of $1,600 per semester for other residence halls.
“They’re kinda small,” said Katie Rassinier, a sociology freshman. “But I would definitely pay the extra for the convenience.”
Of greater importance to the students was the “potluck” process of assigning rooms.
Rassinier’s friend Marie Curry said she was concerned about the random drawing and said it may affect whether she applies.
There are four of them who want to live together, Curry said. One of them probably would not get in, she said.
Koch said the random drawing was necessary.
“We assume that we will have more applicants than we have space for,” Koch said.
Luis Pere, a political science freshman, said he will apply because he is tired of living in the small rooms in Kirby Smith, even though his chances as a freshman are not as good.
Koch said freshmen who do not get into WCA will have a better chance of getting in ECA.
“We’re expecting this to free up some space in ECA, Evangeline and Annie Boyd,” Koch said.
Responding to criticism WCA would give priority to athletes, Koch said no more space was allotted to athletes than was originally allotted in ECA. She said athletes’ requests already have been processed and are not part of the random drawing.
The Department of Residential Life will give tours again today from 4 to 6 p.m.