Eighteen months ago, the Center for Child Care Resources was relocated to 100 University Village, where University Family Housing’s community center was located. However, the updated community center the university promised to give UFH at the same time to replace the old one remains just an idea repeatedly pushed back due to economic strains, budget cuts and “priorities.”

The UFH Council put much time and effort into researching the benefits of a community center before implementing the previous center. Through their hard work, they created a center that offered UFH residents convenient services such as a 24-hour computer lab, recreation room and play group room and a meeting room with a kitchen.

The building that housed their community center was given up in an agreement with the university —they promised that, while 100 University Village would be renovated into a new child care facility, UFH would receive $500,000 to build a new community center which was to be opened at the same time.

The $500,000 remains to be seen — as does the university’s commitment to UFH.

While the university may not see the importance of honoring its word and continually allocating the money promised to UFH to construction projects of “higher priority,” many UFH residents consider the community center an important amenity in deciding where to live.

“[Children living in University Family Housing] have nothing to do and nowhere to do it,” said Natalie Steffen, chairwoman of the University Family Housing Council in a meeting Nov. 13 in the UFH laundromat. “People don’t want to come into a laundromat and have a potluck.”

A lack of amenities, increasing rental rates and broken promises will only lead to a lack of trust between students and the ISU administration — resulting in increasing numbers of current residents choosing to move into off-campus housing.

“People are leaving because they are losing trust in the university to get done the things we need done,” Steffen said.

Not only are students in UFH affected, but all ISU students are now seeing the administration’s lack of commitment to their word and what priorities prevail.

Students are left to wonder how many other promises and commitments the administration is breaking due to budget cuts and priorities.

If students are the university’s top priority, the administration should listen to their voices.

Right now those voices are demanding the university do what is right by fulfilling its promise of a new UFH community center.