At Iowa State University (ISU), the Department of Residence is implementing new housing plans for the 2003-2004 school year. In years past, there has been an overall trend of approximately 25% of campus housing being filled by upperclassmen. The D.O.R. is now trying to manipulate the trend into a policy. Residence halls closest to main campus will be held to the 25% upperclassmen-75% freshmen split with a push towards the super-single and student apartments for the remaining upperclassmen wishing to live on campus. Other than the obvious goal of attempting to keep freshmen students closer to campus and thus hopefully promoting their academics, the D.O.R. is trying to counter the trend of upperclassmen students moving off campus seeking apartment-style living and/or more freedom.

We, the residents of Barker House, a dormitory floor at ISU, are leading a protest against the proposed “75-25” policy by the D.O.R. While this policy deals with the school year of 2003-2004, its implications begin shortly after Spring Break (late March 2003) when students re-register for on-campus housing. While the D.O.R. believes they are offering “alternative options” for the students who will be relocated by this policy, many students feel that they are being discriminated against by being kicked out of the places they have grown to love and call home.

Barker House is a co-ed, dry house located in Richardson Court Association (RCA). We are perhaps the most diverse group of people ever to have lived together and actually enjoy it. There are Christians and Atheists, jocks and nerds, shy and loud people. These people love Barker as well as the residents within the walls of Barker. If we didn’t feel this way, we wouldn’t be so adamant about staying. We are a family in all senses of the word. We are active and close-knit. If you came to visit us you might see a few things that might strike you as odd for a dorm floor. You might see us eating lunch or dinner together (20-30 people) or playing intramural games or perhaps you will see us twirling lawn chairs in the VEISHEA parade or cleaning College Creek which runs by our home. Maybe you’d run into us while we are practicing our skit for the Varieties Show or taking disadvantaged kids to a basketball game. If you dared venture into a college campus at 2 AM, you would probably find a group of students talking politics or religion or class work in our parlor. These are all things you CAN see now if you were to visit us. Next year, if the DOR gets its way, you won’t see this. Our community, our traditions (which date back as far as Vietnam), and our family will be split up. We will no longer be able to exist as Barker House has existed for years.

The “alternatives” offered to us are not appealing or appropriate for the lifestyles we have chosen to live. It would be impossible to transfer the community feel we have on our current floor to Fredericksen Court or the Wallace-Wilson Residence Halls. The move is not cost effective for students, as the options are $800-$1000 more than if Barkerites were able to remain in their current living situations. These residential areas are also farther from the main areas of campus and therefore less convenient. Also, the City of Ames is currently cracking down on zoning laws within the city, putting a strain on students choosing to live off-campus. Students who wish to live with more than two other persons in rental housing would be in violation of these laws and would be subject to fines which many students cannot afford and that landlords are not willing to cover.

The RCA Government is currently working on a petition drive, and letters have been sent to key officials in the Iowa state government and national legislature as well as some prominent Iowa State University officials, all in hopes of fighting the discrimination imposed on us by the D.O.R. While this is a relatively small group of students, it is a representative group as well. The students’ voices are not being heard by those directly affecting our futures at Iowa State University. We need the help of people and organizations whose voices are louder and more prominent than ours.

Please contact:

Betsy Thompson Heather Reid

Barker House President Barker House Webmaster

109 Lyon Barker 111 Lyon Barker

Ames, IA 50013-0010 Ames, IA 50013

(515) 572-0964 (515) 572-0971

bjthomp@iastate.edu tornadowarning@yahoo.com