OpinionsEditorials

Rocking boat pays off for student

editorial cartoon by Stephanie Lesniak
editorial cartoon by Stephanie Lesniak

Three weeks ago, the Campus Times printed an editorial presenting the controversy over the Office of Housing and Residential Life’s attempt to make Brandt Hall into a freshman residence hall.

Surprisingly enough, the editorial was the first most Brandt Hall residents had learned of this change and many were confused and disturbed by the statement that they may have no place to live in the fall. According to Derek Vergara, director of housing and residential life, Brandt was never going to be a “freshman only” dorm, but that non-freshman students were encouraged to “move on” to other residence halls due to programming issues.

Nevertheless, students were concerned and one student took it upon himself to get his needs met. Junior Kyp Harasymowycz sent a memo to President Stephen Morgan in which he outlined his concerns with moving out of Brandt Hall.

However, Harasymowycz said Dr. Morgan had no idea of this change and was never informed of the process to move non-freshman residents to the Oaks or elsewhere until receiving Harasymowycz’s memo. The main focus of the memo was the lack in information given by the Office of Housing and Residential Life and the fact that upperclassmen had to pay almost $180 more to move to the Oaks, an exorbitant fee for some students who can hardly afford living in Brandt Hall.

Dr. Morgan addressed the problem, which prompted a meeting between the Residential Life staff and Harasymowycz. Dr. Morgan was not available to comment on whether or not he wanted to attend the meeting, but Vergara said the Residential Life staff felt it was unnecessary for him to attend the meeting because it was an individual student problem.

Maybe administration should not be intermingled with student problems, but this was a situation where Dr. Morgan was acting as a student advocate, representing a student who sought his help. Perhaps Dr. Morgan has become one of the few people that students can count on when they have concerns. The bureaucracy at ULV means a lot of time, a lot of waiting and a lot of trips from one office to another, because individual students’ needs seem to be placed last the list of things to do.

Although Harasymowycz was present at the meeting, he was told by the staff that they had never said that they would force any student to leave Brandt Hall, but that students were advised to move on to another residence hall or off campus. But does the Residential Life staff really believe that students will pay more than $100 a semester to broaden their horizons? Vergara said he wasn’t sure if encouraging students to move off campus would cause them to move. His reason for making the changes was to improve programming at the residence halls, as new students often have different needs than returners.

But what do the students have to say about it? Vergara admitted that programming in the residence halls needs revision, which was the reason for making Brandt more “new student” oriented. It is a wonder, though, whether this decision was more trouble that what it is worth. The students could probably answer that question, but decisions like this that effect them are done in meetings where they are not represented. The University should truly examine who should handle decisions like this, the administration, the appointed staff or the individuals actually living on campus.

A simple solution for this complicated problem might be an advisory board, made up of students, administration and Residential Life to make decisions a more collaborative process and not just a unilateral decision made by any one office.

Vergara did not deny there can be problems associated with a barrier between residents and the staff, though he offered the Residence Hall Association (RHA), the umbrella student organization for residential students as a solution. Though this organization is available, it is obvious students are either uninformed of it’s existence or do not feel it addresses their needs. Why else would they resort to writing to the President for help?

It is obvious Dr. Morgan does not have enough hours in the day to solve every problem that arises in the University, all the more reason why it is imperative University offices need to be staffed with people who are efficient, concise and, most important, student friendly.

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Unsigned editorials represent the opinion of the Campus Times Editorial Board.

Stephanie Lesniak
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