To the Editor:
Along with the majority of the student body, I had my housing appointment this weekend. ?Now, I like this school for the most part. ?I don’t like the wireless charge (not
everyone has a laptop and why would you need wireless in your room, where you can plug in?). ?I don’t like that no one has fixed the sign outside of Clemens that is missing a
closing parenthesis. ?But more than anything, I do not appreciate the lack of professionalism involved in the entire housing process.
A week or so before students were to register online for housing (Wednesday, Feb. 1), I had several e-mails back and forth with a member of the staff. ?I also spoke with someone from the department on the telephone. ?My questions regarded the Marchetti Towers Apartments and The Village. ?I asked if single-occupancy apartments would be available for the ’06/’07 school year. ?I was told that it depended on availability, but that it wouldn’t hurt to try for a single anyway. ?It was worth a shot, I was told. ?So I did my research on the Housing and Residence Life Web site and found prices for Marchetti and Village single-occupancy rooms. ?I was prepared.
After waiting 40 minutes for my appointment this weekend, I was told that single-occupancy rooms were not offered at all. ?If I had known this, I would have either
tried to find an apartment off campus, have found a roommate, or made plans not involving SLU. ?But at this point it was too late for alternate plans to be made.
Instead, I had to sign up for a room then and there.
I do not have a problem with being assigned random roommates. ?I have a problem with those who work for a department they know nothing about. ?I had made plans for
next year and how I would pay for my single apartment, which is irrelevant now, obviously.
I do not appreciate the lack of thought in the housing department. ?Students have to pay to live here, and they have made plans accordingly. ?Respect the students, please, and get your act together.

Sincerely,
Katie Lewis
Sophomore, Arts & Sciences