Dear Editor,

The response to the debate on the off-campus lounge by Leonardo Caires, the off-campus commissioner, makes one wonder if he actually lives off-campus.

Concerning where off-campus students can relax, why would any student use up a valuable meal from their meal plan to simply “relax?” It should be noted that many off-campus students lack a meal plan to begin with, which means that “relaxing” in the dining hall is not an option.,Dear Editor,

The response to the debate on the off-campus lounge by Leonardo Caires, the off-campus commissioner, makes one wonder if he actually lives off-campus.

Concerning where off-campus students can relax, why would any student use up a valuable meal from their meal plan to simply “relax?” It should be noted that many off-campus students lack a meal plan to begin with, which means that “relaxing” in the dining hall is not an option.

More importantly, by saying that the problem will be resolved with the opening of the Paramount Center in 2008, he makes the assumption that living off-campus is a choice to uppergraduate students.

As one of the many transfer students enrolled at this school, I was virtually locked out from on-campus housing, forcing me to live off-campus. There is little doubt that this housing lockout will continue for future transfer students, even after the openings of the Paramount and Colonial residence halls in 2008 and 2009-10, respectively.

What Caires is suggesting seems to only further isolate the off-campus population, and it seems as though he doesn’t share an agenda with the group he has been chosen to represent. While one can certainly understand that he may have a limited range as to the suggestions he can make, it would behoove Caires to consider the situational differences for the off-campus population when suggesting how they should be accomodated, rather than make excuses and avoid the problem.

-Sean Brady Junior

WLP major