To the Editor:

First, let me say that I greatly respect Dr. Sam Miller and the administration at Western Carolina University, having gotten to know them over the years I was a student there. Miller has more WCU spirit than an entire class of graduates. However, I am disappointed in the decision to require sophomores to live on campus.

During my four years, I stayed in Walker Hall my freshman year then lived off campus for the rest of my time as a student with no regrets. Dorm life was extremely difficult for me for a number of reasons, including roommate issues and simply missing my pets. I also have special dietary needs, and when I was a freshman, Campus Dining Services did not provide the extra late-night hours and dining choices they do today. I suffered from blood sugar crashes on a regular basis. I spent many weekends driving a six-hour round trip home because I missed my privacy and the space of a real home. 

Now, yes, I made a strong group of friends who I still talk with regularly today, but we never participated in the on-campus activities that Miller quoted in the article published in The Smoky Mountain News on Nov. 5. We were content to hang out on the fifth floor of Walker and continued to hang out at each other’s homes off campus throughout the years.

Once I moved off campus, my health improved, I brought my cat to live with me, and I stayed home on the weekends. I participated in campus activities like games of ultimate Frisbee and put more time into my volunteer work, because I was actually there in Cullowhee. My love and support as a WCU student also skyrocketed. By my senior year, I rented a small trailer in Sylva, and I considered myself a permanent resident, not a renter moving through. I became a resident of Jackson County and fell in love with the area when I was able to get away from the university. I wanted to stay for good, however, had to regrettably move away for a job.

I hope that some sort of compromise can be reached. Maybe sophomore students can petition to move off campus if they have a certain GPA or have legitimate reasons as to why they believe their college experience would improve to not live in a dorm. Or, really, I’d love to see the requirement dismissed, because, if I had been required to live on campus for another year, I would have been highly tempted to transfer.

Lex Menz

WCU Class of ‘09

Morganton