Contact Us

Advertising

Comics

Crossword

The Arizona Daily Wildcat Online

Catcalls

Policebeat

Search

Archives

News Sports Opinions Arts Classifieds

Friday April 27, 2001

Reader Survey
Crazy Town Photos
Basketball site
Tucson Riots
Ice T Photos

 

PoliceBeat
Catcalls
Restaurant and Bar Guide
Daily Wildcat Alumni Site

 

Student KAMP Radio and TV 3

Res Life damage fees a reasonable policy

By The Wildcat Opinions Board

Some students think it's hilarious to stick a beer bottle in the toilet of their dormitory bathroom.

Others find it amusing to yank the fire alarm at midnight, or break ceiling panels in their residence halls.

Not all students behave this immaturely, of course. It's just a select group who thinks damaging dorms is acceptable.

As a policy, Residence Life places charges on the bursar's accounts of every single student who lives in damaged dorms, even if only a select few actually committed the pranks. Some students believe this policy is unfair and that they should not be penalized for the pranks or mistakes of their fellow residents.

But Residence Life's current policy is the most reasonable means of dealing with dormitory damages.

First of all, it is logistically impossible for Residence Life to try to find every single prankster and only charge him or her for the damage incurred. This would require Residence Life to essentially investigate every fire alarm prank, every beer bottle in a toilet, or every piece of garbage laying in a hallway.

When damages can be pinpointed to particular students, those students are charged in full.

But when they can't, all residents pay the price.

It would be a waste of Residence Life's time, energy and resources if they had to conduct dorm damage investigations. Given the amount of damage that occurs in every UA residence hall, from petty damages to serious vandalism, it would be unreasonable for Residence Life to even attempt to take this on.

Second, threatening students with hall-wide damage fees may in some circumstances discourage students from damaging their halls. According to Residence Life Director James Van Arsdel, dorm damages have decreased considerably since the policy was implemented 10 years ago.

Finally, students have the freedom to anonymously report students who are guilty of causing hall damages. According to Van Arsdel, the threat of hallwide fees could compel students to not tolerate the actions of fellow residents.

Some students have pointed out that often outsiders come into residence halls and cause damages that residents are not responsible for. But this is avoidable. If outsiders are deemed a serious problem, residence halls ought to more carefully control who enters and visits residence halls.

"Who else would you charge?" Van Arsdel said. "All damages should be the responsibility of the residents of the building.

True, it is unfair that residents who are mature enough not to damage their dorms - their own homes - must pay for the mistakes of others. But in the big scheme of things, it is not unreasonable for all students to fork over a few bucks every year to cover their hall's damages.

As Van Arsdel pointed out, "When there is a cost that must be paid, it must be paid."

Hopefully, more students will think about that cost before lodging a Bud Light bottle in their dorm lavatory.