Residential Life can be a force of good at Washington University. Yes, the philosophical inclinations of some students are offended upon learning that ResLife can go into our rooms at any time, including over winter break, but in general, I’ve found ResLife to be helpful.

Student Union is responding to student complaints about the lack of wireless Internet service in off-campus Washington University-owned apartments. The Office of Residential Life does not provide wireless Internet services in its off-campus apartments and does not permit students to set up their own routers.

Students living in on- and off-campus apartments run by Residential Life will have the option to leave their keys in the Village Office. This is a change from the new ResLife policy that was announced on April 13.

Even though about 140 students were not assigned housing in Round 3 of the housing-selection process, the Office of Residential Life says that it will be able to provide housing for all students who signed housing contracts for the 2011-2012 school year.

The Office of Residential Life announced a new checkout policy to its residents by email on Wednesday. Now, students will have to tell Residential Life (ResLife) the hour during which they plan to leave campus for the summer.

On a guided tour and on Washington University’s website, at least one thing is made clear: Students at Washington University are guaranteed housing for the entirety of their undergraduate careers. But after the Office of Residential Life’s recent housing confusion, that promise seems increasingly empty.

Students gather in College Hall to kick off the Green Cup. The competition pits residential colleges, fraternity houses and the North Side against each other in various sustainability-promoting contests.

I am a Student Union Senator who voted for the recent resolution against Residential Life’s new room rental fees. I would like to offer my reasoning for the way I voted as well as respond to my fellow senator, Joseph Marcus, who does not support the resolution. He argues that SU should not attack the eight students that work as Event Assistants in exchange for free housing, and that these fees only follow the trend of other departments that have compensated for smaller budgets by passing on some cost to students. He states that unlike printing and transcripts costs, which actually require spending more money, the room rental fees only change how the Student Activities Fee, money we already spend, is allocated.

An SU Senate resolution attempting to push Residential Life to negotiate recently imposed room rental fees passed 21-1-0 at Wednesday’s joint legislative session.
The resolution, drafted in part by junior Betel Ezaz, urges students to “engage in civic activism” should ResLife continue to refuse to engage in “productive dialogue.”

On Nov. 12, we voiced our concerns over the new room reservation fees instituted by the Office of Residential Life. However, we would like to reiterate our concerns in light of Student Union’s appeal of the policy last month. Student Union ought to be commended for addressing the policy change.