Separate but not Equal

For those living comfortably on the River, consider Quad life. Aside from the fastidious timing of schedules to match with shuttle times, Quad residents must spend 10 or so minutes traveling every time they want to go from their Houses to the Square or the Yard. The inconvenience of living in the Quad merits the Quad’s newest planned amenity: an ATM in the Student Organization Center at Hilles. As equality for Quadlings is long overdue, this move is one step toward making the Quad as desirable a location to live in as the River.

The Undergraduate Council deserves credit for lobbying for the ATM for over a year and a half. In particular, George J. J. Hayward ’11, an inactive Crimson editor and former UC presidential candidate, deserves praise for spearheading much of the ATM initiative. Hayward’s genuine interest in improving student welfare is laudable; his dedication in pursuing the issue shows he was interested in more than just making empty campaign promises.

Although we are pleased the SOCH is being used for its original purpose—improving the lives of students—the plans are not perfect. It is troubling that the current surcharge set for students who are not members of the bank set to install the ATM will be $1.75. As this will be the only ATM in the Quad, students who use it should not have to bear exorbitant fees given that students in River Houses have numerous ATM options available in Harvard Square, allowing them to choose an ATM which will not charge them a high fee. The UC Student Life Committee has said it will seek to eliminate or reduce the fee, and we hope it follows through.

In addition to protecting students’ checking balances, we hope that the College will line up appropriate security measures, such as a security guard and a camera.

Even though it will undoubtedly make life more convenient for Quadlings, the ATM is only a minor appeasement, considering that the College eliminated the Quad’s library and decreased shuttle schedules due to budget cuts. The College forces a sizable amount of students to live in the Quad, and both the UC and the College should continue to work on measures to improve Quad life. The UC itself helps to bridge students and the administration by channeling grievances into progressive proposals, and then it is up to the administration to turn students’ dreams into reality.

Coupled with the administration’s understanding that separate is not equal, the ATM and future proposals will ideally chip away at the discrepancies between life in the Quad and life on the River. With sustained effort, the Quad will receive all the amenities it deserves.