In response to an extremely condescending Letter to the Editor ("In response to ORLL complaints," April 7), I would like to offer the insight from a freshman who just went through the housing lottery. I was fortunate enough to have 2838 as my lottery number (the highest being 2999), and so did not have to go through the added stress of being placed on a housing wait-list. For Abena Agyemang and Jasmine Tatum to be condescending to students worried about housing is completely unprofessional for two members of the Office of Residential Life and Learning (ORLL) staff.
One point that they attempt to make stands out in particular: that there was an "unexpected amount" of rising sophomores who chose to live in Greek or specialty housing. The sentence implies that there was an unexpectedly high number of students that chose to live in specialty or Greek housing. If this is the case, why should there be a waiting list at all?
Another particular annoyance is the insistence that Tufts students should take "initiative" and be "independent." If we were to be completely "independent" in our housing choices, there would be no reason to be paying Yolanda King's salary (King's mismanagement of the ORLL is a Viewpoint within itself).
Finally, the authors' implication that housing is in any way a "trivial" issue is one more example of their extreme arrogance of this issue. I pay $42,000 a year to attend this institution, and I don't expect to be unprofessionally patronized for concerns regarding the use of my money.
Stephen Blaker LA '08
