To the editors:
I’m writing in response to The Maroon’s article, “Burst fire sprinkler floods Carrollton Hall,” which was published on March 25. Although it is understandable that The Maroon had little time to respond to that Wednesday’s flooding of Carrollton Hall, I’m surprised your newspaper did not have more to say about the extent of Loyola’s poor housing situation.
Here at Loyola, freshmen and sophomore students are required to live on campus, with few exceptions. Although the policy is reasonable, it comes with the expectation that housing accommodations be comfortable, reasonably priced and safe – they are not all of those things.
On-campus housing is far overpriced. Residence hall pricing varies from as low as $2529 to as high as $3968 per semester, which translates to approximately $750 to $1200 a month, not including the required meal plan. Granted, all utilities are included, however numerous students live in similar off-campus housing for as much as $400 less per month.
Considering the high costs of on-campus housing, residence hall comfort is abominable. Whether it is loud music in the quad, crowded laundry rooms, overflowing garbage cans or filthy bathrooms, Loyola has again failed to meet basic standards.
At the very least, Loyola appears to take safety seriously. It’s easier to get in the Pentagon than Biever Hall. However, on that Wednesday night, we learned that even the structural integrity of Carrollton Hall, our newest dorm, is questionable at best. What if there had been a serious fire? What if every sprinkler had been set off?
The terrible housing situation can be ignored to a certain point, but when students’ safety comes into question, it is necessary that someone expose the horror that is on-campus living.
Taylor Smith
Political science freshman
