In the fall of 2000 our daughter applied and was accepted at Iowa State University. When she received information from the Department of Residence, she spent a great deal of time weighing the pros and cons of living in each dorm. As we are from Wisconsin and had visited the campus only once, she had to base her selection on information received during the campus visit, a tour of the campus and the brochures she received in the mail.

She finally chose Barker House in the Richardson Court Association, basing her selection on the following reasons: Barker House was smoke-free and alcohol-free, coed and located near the center of campus and the Lied Recreation Center, which she anticipated using frequently.

In the fall of 2001 we moved her into her dorm, and I must admit that we had some reservations because the dorm seemed old and somewhat musty after being closed up for the summer. But we were encouraged by the friendly demeanor of the upperclassmen who stopped by to say hello and ask if we needed any help moving in.

In the year and a half that our daughter has lived in Barker House, we have come to believe that she made an excellent choice. As we live six hours away, our daughter only comes home on vacations so her fellow students in the dorm have truly become another family for her. As a freshman, the upperclassmen showed her how to do laundry, went to church with her, included her in dorm activities such as the Veishea parade, intramural sports, the Varieties Show and a ski trip to Minnesota during winter break. The students in this dorm actually have a set time when they gather to eat lunch and supper together.

When our daughter had to choose a dorm for her sophomore year, she had no reservations about going back to Barker House. As upperclassmen, she and her friends have welcomed new freshmen into the family atmosphere of their dorm.

Therefore, it was with dismay that we heard of Iowa State’s plans to create dorms of mostly freshmen close to campus with the 75—25 plan — forcing the majority of sophomores, juniors and seniors to relocate to Frederiksen Court or the Wallace-Wilson residence halls. When my daughter chose to study at Iowa State there was no mention made of this plan and that these other dorms would be more expensive to live in, an important consideration for an out-of-state student.

As an educator for many years, I know that theories on paper do not always translate into effective practice. Perhaps Barker House should be looked at more closely as a model dorm since so many students choose to return there. The sophomore, junior and senior students in this dorm have helped the freshmen become more successful, well-adjusted college students. We feel that the 75—25 plan is a disservice to these students, forcing the majority of them to transfer to another dorm after only one year. Please reconsider the ramifications of this plan.

Todd and Pam Huth

Parents of ISU student

Big Bend, Wis.