There’s no ‘I’ in team; MBB should share rooms

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="366"] shu.edu[/caption] This year, a short term housing fix caused the community to press for a better long-term solution. Around 90 students were forced to live off-campus in Newark apartments due to an overflow of on-campus housing needs and a lack of accommodations available. The housing in Newark was just part of the plan. Additionally, some resident assistants, who nor mally get their own rooms, had to pair up to accommodate for the influx of students. An article by Leah Carton this week revealed that the University is cracking down on holds more than they have in previous years, meaning that your bursar balance will impact your housing situation for the next year. Housing and Residence Life has confirmed that per tradition 10 Xavier suites are available to athletes. The rooms are identical to the doubles occupied by other non-basketball players, however, the University does provide longer bedframes. Although this is a tradition, and an RA did confirm that the team can only get singles when the size of the team is small enough, how is it fair that students are forced to commute on buses from Newark to campus, and some RAs are forced to pair up, while athletes can have their own rooms? Basketball players live a hectic, high-pressure life. We support and take pride in our team here at SHU, but if the single room is due to scheduling or complying with NCAA standards, wouldn’t having a roommate adhering to the same rules help? And why should the basketball team receive special treatment when every other sports team on campus also has to adhere to a strict schedule and abide by a set of standards? The University stepped up and found a quick solution to a housing problem at the beginning of the year, but favoring certain students over others is unfair. We are the Pirates. As a community we are a team, and hopefully we should all be treated equally.