Reserve Now for Fall
Beautifully Remodeled
3 Bedroom Apartments
_1560 Alder_
Upscale Living at Moderate Prices
$950/mo.
• 1/2 Block To U of O
• On-Site Laundry/Parking
FREE HIGH SPEED INTERNET
I'n >/U f i\ M<niu'/i ifh /ii
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1339 Oak St., Suite 1
434-9340
fter a year in the dorms,
a house or the quads,
#lsome students look for
a change in scenery or a more
spacious living environment.
Many students find what
they're looking for in complex
es like the University Com
mons, Duck's Village, Chase
Village and McKenna Estates.
These places fulfill the
"niche" for newer student
housing in Eugene, Duck's Vil
lage Leasing Agent Cathy En
gebretson said.
"The places near campus
seemed small with little win
dows," junior Liz Rice, a Uni
versity Commons tenant, said.
"These are big and bright."
Rice said the complex is the
best deal for her money.
Sophomore Jamie Acker
man agreed, saying the ameni
ties made the apartments an
even better deal.
"I looked for a furnished
apartment and couldn't find
one anywhere else," Acker
man said.
Furnished apartments are a
major draw for Duck's Village
and University Commons.
"Off-campus housing of
fers more amenities as far as
pools, hot tubs and free tan
ning," Chase Village Leasing
Manager John Sanford said.
These complexes boast pools,
computer labs, workout facili
ties and free parking. Howev
er, these options vary by
y\
MCKENNA
ESTATES
1& 2 Bedrooms Now Available!
Save with no application/screening fee.
2 Bedroom Executive
- $850
• Custom 2-level floor plan
• Huge master bed & bath
• 2 full baths
• 1400 sq. ft
2 Bedroom Deluxe
-$795
• Unique 2-level floor plan
• Walk-in closet
• 2 full baths
• 1200 sq.ft.
1 Bedroom - $650
• 850 sq. ft
All Units Include:
• Air conditioning
• Gas fire place
• Laundiy hook-ups
• Oak cabinets
• Balcony
• Extenaed basic cable
Plus:
• Community Center
• Exercise room
• Sports court
• Covered, lighted parking
How far
is too far away?
Duck's Village, University
Commons, McKenna Estates,
Chase Village and Park Grove
Apartments are all located on
a direct bus route to campus.
Most of these complexes are
already furnished, which is
one of the big reasons so
many students choose to live
there.
For those students who are
looking to live near campus,
there are several pros and cons
to consider. Because there is
such a high demand for
GIVE
ME 5!
Run your “for sale” ad (items under $1,000)
for 5 days in the ODE Classified Section.
If the item(s) doesn’t sell, call us at 346-4343
and we’ll run it again for another
5 days free!
011572
3450 McKenna Drive, Eugene
(off Kinsrow, east of Autzen Stadium)
342-5735
For more info and floor plans visit
www.mckennaes tates. com
013889
Club Mill
1255 Mill Street, near UO
• 2 bedrooms with balcony
• Dishwasher/range/refrigerator/garbage disposal
• Landlord pays water, sewer, garbage & expanded
basic cable TV
• Updated carpets & on site laundry
• Off street parking & summer pool
• Very nice apartments with competitive pricing
www.KeystoneHome.net
information, call KEYSTONE real estate
746-1402
M-F 9:30 a.m. - 5:30 p.m.
Weekends by appointment
Across the river
Apartment complexes near Autzen Stadium
are more spacious, but they also
have a few drawbacks
By Ashley Griffin • Freelance Reporter
party scene at these complexes,
although neither was too
bothered by it. Ackerman said
she found her complex to be
quieter than she'd expected.
While Rice said there are a lot
of parties, her location at the
back of the complex allows
her to shut her door if she
needs to take a break from the
party scene.
The management at these
complexes seek to improve on
these criticisms and continue
doing the things that have gar
nered them praise.
"We try to offer a pleasant,
clean and well-kept environ
ment along with the best cus
tomer service," Engebretson said.
Duck's Village provides
maintenance, on-call man
agers and clubhouse events.
"They are constantly doing
upkeep on the hot tub, the
pools and the lawns," Acker
man said.
Most complexes do request
ed maintenance repairs on a
daily basis, and most are suc
cessfully completed within a
24-hour period.
Rice didn't have quite the
same experience with the man
agement. She said she faced
untimely maintenance repairs
and was also bothered that the
management didn't provide
complex recycling.
Ashley Griffin is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.
complex. Students would be
wise to check with current res
idents and the management
about the availability, variety
and upkeep of the advertised
amenities.
And, for some residents,
something can be said for liv
ing away from the University.
"It's nice to be able to get off
campus," Ackerman said. "Last
year I felt like I was trapped on
campus."
Rice agreed. She said living
across the river puts a nice sep
aration between school and
social life.
While some things about
the location are good, resi
dents warned about a few
drawbacks.
The distance from classes
and on-campus housing is by
far the biggest complaint.
"It's hard to get home after
dark," Ackerman said. "And
friends don't want to come
over here because it is too far."
In addition, many residents
have to stay on campus all day
for classes and breaks.
"You just can't go home in
between classes to grab a
book," Rice said.
Rice and Ackerman also
mentioned the noise level and
»♦***» * W44* *♦4* 44
•••.DO THE HOMEWORK
•Apartment complex workout rooms are sometimes open at
odd hours, and some of the machines don't operate correctly.
•The people who lead the site toirs are usually not the same
people tenants deal with for rent, maintenance and other
concerns.
•Talk to current residents to get an accurate description
of the living situation.
•The walls in some apartment complexes are thin, allowing
residents to hear noise from the rooms
above and belcw.
housing, the best and cheapest
houses get taken early in the
house-hunting season.
The Lane Transit District has
bus routes all over Eugene,
many of which provide quick,
direct service to the University
and Lane Community College.
For this reason, many students
choose residences a bit farther
away from campus.
Spanish major Megan Grillo
lives on East 21st Avenue and
Hilyard Street, which is about
11 blocks from campus.
"I have never minded living
far away from campus, but I did
realize how nice it would be to
walk there one day when I rode
my bike and got drenched from
the rain," she said.
The weather can present a
problem for those students
who rely on bikes for trans
portation, but alternate trans
portation can almost always
be found, by way of bus, car
or carpool.
Gabe Winfrey, a senior busi
ness major, lives in South Eu
gene on 48th Avenue and Don
ald Street He said he would not
want to live so far from campus
if he didn't have a car.
"The bus comes near my
house, but it takes nearly an
hour to get to campus, so I
rarely take it," he said.
In the spring and summer,
Winfrey rides his bike, but he
said it is not feasible to ride in
the rain, especially up and down
the hills of South Eugene.
"It is nice to live far away
from campus because of the
mellow atmosphere of the
neighborhood, he said. "Plus
the area is really beautiful, un
like some of the areas closer to
campus," he said.
— Athena Ehnot
DISTANCE
continued from page 9B
by the University, Vanderkar
said.
"The program deals with ac
ademic elements, such as how
to receive credit being abroad,
as well as health and safety,
cultural adjustment issues and
conduct," she said. "It also
provides workshops for begin
ning and advanced travelers,
how to live with host families,
the logistics of traveling and
other helpful information."
In addition to this general
orientation, all students must
attend specific orientations for
their country or program.
"We also invite internation
al students and former stu
dents from the programs," she
said. "Students can get a great
wealth of information from
those students who have al
ready done the program as
well as individuals from that
country or region."
Senior Sonja Handy, a 21
year-old from Troutdale, trav
eled to Bergen, Norway, for five
months last winter. She said the
best way to prepare for life in a
new country is to research the
place before you leave.
"Get a map of the city you'll
be in so that you know where
you're going when you get
there," she said. "Find out the
country's policies on currency
and money. Know what the
climate will be like there."
Vanderkar agreed with
Handy that being informed is
one of the best ways to prepare
for an overseas experience The
University's Overseas Study Pro
gram encourages students to do
their own research and become
as informed as possible on the
country by taking advantage of
the many resources available,
Vanderkar said.
"Students are encouraged to
read about the country and get
an idea of it in their mind,"
Vanderkar said.
Blanton, Handy and Van
derkar agreed that with pack
ing, less is more.
"You don't have to bring toi
letries and other basic prod
ucts because they will have
them there," Blanton said.
"They won't have everything
you expect, but you can easily
compromise and make do."
Handy said the point of
studying abroad is to get a dif
ferent experience.
"If you bring what you're
comfortable with, you miss
half of the point," Handy said.
Handy found the university
system to be a new experience.
"College is free there, so
they have a lot less resources
available to them because ed
ucation is nationally funded,"
she said. "The academics are a
lot more laid-back."
Students also experience
many day-to-day challenges
when living abroad for the first
time. Handy described the
challenge of dealing with the
time change, as well as learn
ing how people in a new coun
try interact.
"It's hard learning how to
look at things in a Norwegian
perspective at first when you
always want to look at it in an
American perspective instead,"
Handy said. "It's about finding
an alternate point of view."
One of the best ways to adapt
to moving abroad is to become
informed, Vanderkar said.
"Be a mini-anthropologist," she
said. "Learn about the culture."
Another way to adapt to a
new country is to make a com
fortable home.
"Bring a picture of your
house with you to show peo
ple where you live and where
you are from," Handy said. "I
wish I had done that. I
brought pictures of local
things from where I'm from. It
gives others a better idea of
who you are."
Noe Baker is a freelance
reporter for the Emerald.