Which sounds better to you: Staying in your dorm room located on an empty campus, or staying in a motel room for the duration of Winter Break?

Unless the motel in question happens to be in walking distance of the Las Vegas strip or some other interesting place, students would probably prefer to stay in their own room, even if it is a dorm.

But international students who can’t make it home for break don’t have that option. They have to seek refuge for the holidays with friends or at hotels.

Forcing international students, or any students who cannot make it home for the holidays, to leave campus is inherently wrong.

Many schools may have similar policies, but if a school wishes to be a true residential campus, forcing people to leave their college homes detracts from that image.

The administration claims lack of student interest in keeping residence halls open year-round is the reason dorms close, but overall student interest doesn’t outweigh the basic needs of the few who need to stay.

It is true that limited staff availability over the holidays makes it difficult to provide such a service, but implementing a yearlong housing program on a smaller scale would not be as difficult to operate.

The university could set aside a single hall where students with a need to stay over breaks (winter or summer) could get priority placement. These halls would remain open all year ’round.

This would allow any summer programs to use the other dorms and would allow for limited staffing during Winter Break.

While the dining halls are not open, it would be a short walk to Berry Street for a quick meal. Prepackaged and microwavable food is a college staple anyway.

Universities are traditionally the parent for students while they are on campus. What parents in their right minds would kick their children to the curb during the holidays?