Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 11, 1990 TAG: 9004100169
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV4 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
SOURCE: KATHY LOAN SPECIAL TO THE ROANOKE TIMES & WORLD-NEWS
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG LENGTH: Medium
By the April 2 deadline, all of the approximately 250 rooms in Slusher Hall and Slusher Tower had been reserved, said Gail Kirby, Tech's manager for off-campus and special housing services. Tentative plans do not call for opening additional dorms, she said.
The decision to start the program for this year's May 5 graduation weekend grew out of the success of last year's off-campus lodging program, which encouraged faculty and staff members to make spare rooms in their homes available.
Last year's commencement crunch was worse than usual because Tech and Radford University held their graduations on the same weekend. Since Tech switched to the semester system, its calendar coincides closely with neighboring Radford's.
The double graduation weekend caused lodging problems for families and headaches for hotel operators and retailers, who said it effectively took one weekend of business away from them.
Tech wanted to offer the on-campus lodging program before, but because students could stay in their rooms until 24 hours after their last exam, there wasn't time to prepare for graduation lodging, Kirby said. This year, the last exam is given May 2, giving adequate time to ready the dorms by Friday, May 4.
Calling the dormitories a "comfortable, inexpensive lodging opportunity," Kirby emphasized that opening the dorm rooms is strictly a service and it should not to be interpreted as being competitive with area hotels.
She said she doubts that people who already had secured rooms at area hotels would opt to give up the comfort of air-conditioned rooms with color television to stay in a stripped-down dorm room.
"We don't have in the immediate area a lot of hotel business," Kirby said. "Roanoke is certainly not an unimaginable drive . . . ," but a drive of an hour or more may add to an already stressful weekend.
Those who are staying stay in the dormitories reserved a room for Friday night only or for Friday and Saturday nights, Kirby said. A continental breakfast will be served on Saturday before commencement exercises.
Tech is continuing its off-campus lodging program but doesn't expect the faculty and staff homes to be used as much as last year, Kirby said.
Managers of two Blacksburg hotels said their graduation business wouldn't be adversely affected by the opening of the dorms.
Wayne Gibson, general manager of the Best Western Red Lion Inn off Prices Fork Road in Blacksburg, said all of his rooms were reserved within 90 minutes after he began taking reservations the Monday after last year's commencement.
"I think it gives an alternative for people looking for that type of a situation - very, very inexpensive, and the privacy isn't there that a lot of people want. The facilities are a little bit different than a full-service operation like us or the Marriott or the Holiday Inn."
Gibson said the benefit of the lodging option may become clearer next year when the two universities are again scheduled to hold graduation on the same weekend.
Blaine Shively, general manager of the Blacksburg Marriott, said he was glad to see Tech help with graduation housing. When reservation lines opened at the Marriott on Sept. 11, all rooms were gone within 40 minutes, he said. The hotel is also booked for Radford's April 28 graduation.
"They could open up all the dormitory rooms on campus [and] it wouldn't affect the demand for the hotels, as I see it," he said.
by CNB