Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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n s^ns\ si ^/l/> I -ll/ts&UJUVIV Once again, continuing students at USC are getting the shaft. This time it comes in the form of a new sign-up procedure for on-campus housing that just might send some long-time inhabitants of USC residence halls apartment hunting next fall. Incoming freshmen are getting more priority which will result in a first come, first serve sign-up for continuing residents. Residential Life Services estimates it will be able to accommodate 80 to 90 percent of continuing on-campus residents. This is a t A - eupnemisuc way of stating that 10 to 20 percent of the residents will not be able to find space in the residence halls. Displaced is the word Residential Life Services prefers; kicked out might be a more accurate term. In a document released Sunday night to USC resident assistants and hall advisers, Richard D. Wertz, associate vice president for Residential Life Services, indicated that a certain number of incoming freshmen, a much larger number than usual, will be guaranteed on-campus housing in the full Hmirotror fV?*? ? ?1 4M?* AAVTT V V VI I V1IC OOlHC UiAoUlllt/Ill states that while most continuing residents will be provided housing, no An open U to Holder To the Editor: continui This is an open letter to Dr. retain tt James B. Holderman. be students Dear Sir: room or Pursuant to the recent proposal at all. by the housing authorities of USC, We m it has come to our attention that 25 proposal percent of the dorm rooms on includini campus will be allocated to in- House. ? coming freshmen whether or not is to be < they are willingly vacated by first ser continuing students. academ This presents the possibility that dersigne OtilyOutftnq^oa ts deservi continuing student is guaranteed a room. In short, this means that some students who have already paid Residential Life Services more than #1 (\AA *-U _ TTOO J " fi,uw iui uuw yeans m uau aorms Will be evicted. Also, those students have more than a monetary investment in university housing. They have braved heat in the summer, air conditioning in the winter, room inspections, toilet paper shortages, poor janitorial service, broken elevators, maintenance reauests and fire hn7JirH? Afiw nil this, how can Residential Life Services 'displace' such enduring students in favor of freshmen who have no investment at all? Certainly freshmen should have an opportunity to obtain on-campus housing, and, in fact, should be guaranteed a limited amount of space. But not at the expense of those already here. The reasoning behind the new procedure, according to Wertz, is that those freshmen who would be denied housing will reject USC for another university with adequate housing, resulting in a decreased enrollment wnicn could be harmful to the If we intend to subr 3 T T at ear^es^ f y 1/ t/\I/ / your house lis! preference. We do realize W) /V/V3 your Present liv f 11j( I j f 1/ allocated to inc i V\AJ f V wm present . A , ... are all compatib ng students who wish to are able t0 ret leir present room may not present living sp i to do so. Continuing Mrs Holderman i may be moved to another dinner is stea, not be given housing space smothered in mi . ? .. . ... Hope to see y( Rurally assume that tins I affects ALL USC housing, Bm gheely g tlie esteemed President's Accounting 8oph l"Le.!!;LP POS^-flgn"UP Thncl. R.? uviiuuv^tcu un a 111SI COII1C, "" " . "", ved basis for the 1970-80 Computer Scien. ic year, we the un- Bert Fersner d are informing you that Grad, MBA (< FOR SOME, REA5C REMEMBER AMYTH1N1 nam ml r 1 J xnrn I housing ? _ v ^ -ys -v. -r m university. A smaller freshman class, he says, will lead to a smaller sophomore class, eventually resulting in a decreased total enrollment. We fail to see the harm in this. It would seem, when USC's tremendous housing shortage is considered, that a slight decrease in enrollment would benefit all of us. Even if this is not the case, is it possible that Residential Life Services cannot see clearly enough to realize that a smaller sophomore class in 1980 would mean fewer students in residence halls, which would automatically create more spaces for incoming freshmen the following year? Another objection we have is that at least one viable option was not given enough consideration. Residential Life Serivces said it considered excluding Columbia-area residents from dormitories. It rejected the idea, however, in favor of giving everyone an equal opportunity to obtain a room oncampus. Yet, would it not be better to send a Columbia resident packing to his or her home 10 miles away than to kick out a New Jersey or Arizona nit our application T TT/. x>ssible date with I >-M ted as our first V ^ O that 25 percent of To the Editor: ing space will be :oming freshmen. USC has done it again w no problem as we passed it will just show US le students. If you total lack of concern for tt ain part of your i am referring to the ace, please inform Gamecock. There is so n i that our favorite would have to be an idiot t c, medium well, The plan calls for a fii jshrooms. Clemson football ticket pi< MA..i ? ;u iicai year. trying to get rooms. A fool a year. The scene will ro omore The whole idea is to giv room. Good idea, USC: Bi RPniftP year, then displace them Also, why are the "privil better than the average 2 )N, I CAN'T & I STUDY." ^ ?Gomecoc . priority native who has no reasonable prospect of finding housing? We at the Gamecock are also in teres ted in equal opportunity. It is in this interest that we inquire why, along with selected other housing, the fraternity houses in McBryde and the sorority floors in South Tower were excluded from the new procedure. It is our understanding that these areas are leased for only one year at a time, the same type of contract that Residential Life Services provides all other students. We feel that if this new signup procedure has to be implemented, in fha inforocf nf ~11 i 11? m?v AHW& vov \jl laii hcsks^ it 11 uinvcrsiiy housing should be affected. The procedure is now before USC President James B. Holderman for approval. It is our understanding that our distinguished president has several questions about the procedure. We hope that our questions are his, and that he will give special consideration to the consequences his approval could have on continuing students at this university. We feel it is time for the administration to stop playing Russian roulette with our collegiate futures. >od thing alone ith another backward, messed-up plan. If it is 5C's and President Holderman's complete and le students on this campus. front page housing story in Wednesday's nuch wrong with the proposed plan that you o think it would work. rst-come, first-serve basis. Remember what ck-up was like? Imagine thousands of students :ball ticket is for a one day event; a room is for r?t ho noonaful |/vUWIUIi e incoming freshmen more of a chance for a ring the freshmen in, give them a room for a for the next batch. leged" few exempted from the plan? Are they itudent? See H0US!NG page i9 gamecock | Founded 1900 ! Mark J. Lundgren editor In Chief Don Fobes Copy Desk Chief Jim Phillips News Editor Barry J. Glenn Entertainment Editor Mike Hunt Sports Editor Dave Roback Graphics Editor Sharon Pippin Wire Editor Judy Sims Editorial Page Editor Janice Wood Graduate Assistant Jan Easterling Asst. News Edltor Brett Frledlander Asst. Sports Editor SkotGarrlck Asst. Entertainment Ed. Jill Griffin Advertising Manager Fran George Production Manager Jon Clemmensen ;. General Manager '<* ) SamMcKee Business Manager A The Gamecock welcomes letters from Its 1 readers. Letters should be a maximum of 300 i words and must be signed with the writer's correct name. Pseudonyms or other aliases are not acceptable, but the writer's name ^ t will be withheld If requested and circumstances warrant. Please Include the V telephone number and mailing address where you can be reached to assist us in verifying the Identity of the writer. Also, Include class standing and ma|or. We reserve the right to edit all letters for space j limitations, but not for content. Please ad \ dress letters to: Campus Opinion, The J Gamecock, Drawer A, USC, Columbia, S.C. 29208. Opinions expressed In the Gamecock are those, If signed, of the writer and, If un,(signed, of the senior editorial staff.