Editorial:
Taking Voices for Granted

Ignoring the voices of over 1000 students, Residential Life has decided that in the future, the frosh and sophomore classes will be segregated. Just last March in response to student outrage over a similar proposal, Dean of Student Services Michael Whaley made the claim that "The voice of the students has delineated that the integration of housing is important."

Suddenly that voice has become far less important to the administration.

The separation of first and second year students is not the only matter in which Res Life has been ignoring the voice of the students. One distinct characteristic of Wesleyan is the integration of male and female students. Yet last year’s housing plan included an increase in the number of single-sex halls. In the halls of Clark this year, males have been placed on one end and females on the other. Res Life claims that this was a clerical error, yet it did nothing to correct it.

Res Life also plans to add RAs and HRs for upperclassmen. They have already been added to HiRise and LoRise this year, and Res Life envisions them for Intown and woodframe houses. There has been minimal opportunity for student input on this matter. Res Life, despite this, continues to go forward with extending the residential staff.

Wesleyan students have a valuable opportunity to live near students of different genders and class years. Students have a right to influence and choose the way they live.

Going ahead with the current policy changes in Res Life deprives students of this right.

The administration is taking away the lifestyle that Wesleyan students expect from this school. As the years go by and the student body turns over, it will be possible to take away even more rights from students who will not know the way it was. The result will be a Wesleyan just like every other school, with none of the traits that make it the unique school that it is.