Residence Life Concerns

To the Editor:

We are writing you to voice our sincere concern and disagreement with the University’s policy in regard to “fifth-year” seniors and on-campus housing for the 2001-2002 school year. Many of us have plans to return to Saint Louis University this coming school year to finish our undergraduate degrees. And, some of us are writing this letter simply as a matter of principle in response to the unfair policies that you and the University employ. Unfortunately, according to the new rules for on-campus housing set by your office and the University and specified in the application for on-campus apartments, “fifth-year” seniors will not be able to live on campus because they will have had a total of eight semesters completed by fall 2001.

We understand that SLU has a limited number of spaces available to house all of the undergraduate residents next year. And, with the increased number of freshman students, the University is in a tough situation-how to adequately house everyone.

However, according to your office, there will be students next year who will have had a total of eight completed semesters by fall 2001 who will be granted access to on-campus housing next year. We cannot at all understand how allowing “fifth-year” student athletes and other “select” students, such as the SGA president, access to on-campus housing is at all fair. The Department of Residence Life Web site says, “The programs of Saint Louis University are open to all without regard to race, religion, age, physical handicap, national origin, or sexual orientation.” Maybe you forgot to mention on the Web site that your office and the University do regard student athlete status and “select” student status as viable grounds to grant preferential treatment and thereby discriminate against many other students in good standing.

We urge you, Mr. Jones, to change your policy on this issue on the grounds that your policy clearly grants preferential treatment to a specific group of students while at the same time discriminating against many others. And, if you do realize this injustice and decide to change your policy, please, Mr. Jones, do not continue your unfair and discriminatory rule making-let all of us students have equal and fair access under the same set of guidelines for housing assignments.

Neal Albritton, John Baumann, Sean Campbell, Laurie Craft, Michael Czuba, Nora Davis, Doug Durand, Brian Ganninger, Scott Geiger, Greg Halvachs, Michelle Jacobson, Matt Love, Kevin Manning, Mara Pfile, Dan Plato, Wayne Prender, Wes Riesmeyer, Dane H. Salazar, Zach Schaefer, Brian Sternberg, John Unnerstall, Dennis Witas, Shane Yaeger

—————————————————————————

To the Editor:

I am currently a student in good standing with the University. I have a 3.5 cumulative GPA and have never been written up. For these reasons and several more, I am outraged that Residence Life is attempting to throw out all fifth-year seniors.

I am still an undergraduate and should have the same rights as other undergraduate students. For this reason, it is as absurd to force fifth-year students to move off campus as it would be to force younger Griesedieck Hall residents to do the same.

The real problem lies in the administration allowing more students than they could house to enter the school. Sadly, it seems like the almighty dollar was the administration’s primary focus instead of student welfare. I have only been living in the Village for one academic school year. I lived in the dorms for three years prior to moving into the Village. I now know juniors who will be living in the Village for at least two years. So obviously, the amount of time spent in the Village is of no real concern. Therefore, the “squatters” defense by the University is not valid.

Finally, the only reason that I am staying a fifth year is because I have decided to double major. I have been a hard-working student at this University, and I feel that it is a grave injustice to simply discard us after four expensive years.

Troy Groner

Business and Administration

—————————————————————————

To the Editor:

Every year there is one organization that is consistent in its ability to be incompetent. One need not be a genius to know that this organization to which I am referring is the Department of Residence Life.

Each year, the rules governing the Village apartment application process and the residence hall placement procedures seem to change. Many of these rules make little or no sense. In addition, the situation never seems to get better. More than once I’ve overheard students say, “Just when you thought Res Life couldn’t get any worse .” Again this year, we find ourselves in this same situation. It seems that Residence Life cares more about making money, filling quotas and turnover rates than it cares about the well-being and morale of the students filling the residence halls.

Sometimes, I wonder if there are any qualifications for working at Residence Life. Everyone from student workers to the director of the department attempts to answer students’ questions. Rarely, if ever, are these answers consistent from person to person. The same answer is never given twice. More often than not, students leave the Residence Life office more confused than when they first arrived.

Living on campus need not be a series of hoops through which the students need to jump. Multiple forms, different and confusing answers, an inability or unwillingness to answer questions, and a general lack of knowledge seem to be a running theme for this department. All of these hoops make the entire process unsettling and add stress to the already-stressful week prior to midterms.

I challenge the department of Residence Life to be consistent, and if it is not too much to ask, intelligent with regard to their policies and their answers. Maybe someday there will be a semester where students are held in high regard, simple questions will have simple answers and Residence Life will make an ounce of sense.

Matt Stewart

Arts and Sciences

—————————————————————————

Fasting Against Sanctions

To the Editor:

Sift five pounds of flour, stir in a pound of rice and a pound of sugar, add a large can of beans, shred a chunk of cheese, don’t forget the dash of salt and oil to season, and to wash it all down, prepare a cup of tea.

Whose recipe is this, and what in the world does it make? No, it’s not your grandma’s home remedy for a cold. It is not the recipe for dining hall “Left-over Casserole.” I dare you to try and make anything out of these items-unless what you have in mind is an Iraqi Weekly Food Basket.

That’s correct, this is what an adult in Iraq has available to eat each week. Shocking, isn’t it?

Students, faculty, staff and friends: What you may find even more surprising is that a number of Saint Louis University students has chosen to live in solidarity with their Iraqi brothers and sisters by eating only that which an Iraqi citizen may eat. They will be participating in a fast from Feb. 28 through March 7, organized in part by SLU Pax Christi, the St. Louis Forum for a Just Peace, the Muslim Student Alliance and Amnesty International.

This fast continues the work of the Mev Puleo Lectureship through a twofold purpose. It is a campaign to continue to raise people’s awareness of the United Nations sanctions on Iraq and the actual consequences of the sanctions. Second, those fasting will be collecting donations in order to send humanitarian items to the citizens of Iraq.

I write to you requesting your support of this project. That could take many different forms. Anybody can choose to join the fast for periods of a single day, up to the entire week. There will be students in the Quad throughout the week who will have a food basket on display.

Please inform yourself, question their opinions and donate toward the purchase of such items as vitamins, baby formula and water purifiers that Iraqis are denied by the sanctions. Remember those fasting in your thoughts and prayers for the seven days. Above all, keep close to your heart our Iraqi brothers and sisters who have been forced to live week after week after week in hunger, illness and suffering.

Those interested in joining the fast, contributing to the campaign or just in search of more information may contact Pete Mosher ([email protected]), Michael Schreiner ([email protected]) or Jenny Truax (yoda_jen_is@hotmail. com). Thank you in advance for your support of our efforts and your concern for the lives of millions of Iraqi citizens.

Pete Mosher

SLU Pax Christi

—————————————————————————

Editorial Concerns

To the Editor:

As a university newspaper, I see it as your duty to inform the students of what is happening on campus in a responsible manner. However, I feel that The University News acted irresponsibly during the recent elections. I am referring to the paper’s choice to endorse candidates for the election.

This year, the election for all the executive positions was closely contested. As the major and practically only source of campus news, The University News should not endorse candidates because the paper influences many students who may not otherwise know about the issues at hand. There is nothing wrong with publishing bios on the candidates or even illustrating their strengths and weaknesses. Yet, picking candidates as favorites and then instructing voters using large, bold print to pick one student over another is a misuse of power.

One paper like The New York Times can pick Al Gore as the best candidate, and another paper like The Chicago Tribune can pick George W. Bush. There is no harm in these endorsements, as interested people are likely to read both opinions. But at SLU, The University News is the ONLY paper and therefore the only source of information about the election.

In my opinion, The University News was the largest influence on who won on Monday, as four out of the five candidates who were endorsed were victorious. Also, I do not think it is proper of anyone on the newspaper staff to walk around campus on the day of the election with the endorsement page highlighted. The paper should serve to inform the students who found your actions surprising and irresponsible. I hope that some change is made for the future so that the students can choose who is in the office, not The University News editors.

Andy Dearing

Parks College