After a year of fanfare and hype, Maple Hall, the first project in Iowa State’s ambitious Department of Residence Master Plan, opened its doors to students.

Of course, department officials are singing the praises of the multi-million dollar building, which is equipped with increased lighting, sink fixtures and flexible bunks — and don’t forget the “artwork” of roosters and small cats on the walls.

But are the mobile showers and full-service ovens worth the price students will be paying? And we’re not talking dollars and cents.

The building is to be locked 24 hours a day, and it’s only accessible by proximity scanner cards issued to Maple residents.

Now there’s nothing wrong with beefing up security, but we have to remember that this is a residence hall, not Alcatraz.

ISU can be an intimidating place, and the residence hall community is one of the first places where students can start to feel comfortable. How comfortable are they going to feel when they have to swipe a card to get into their home or when they have to personally escort their guests into the building?

Also, all of the residents were pre-approved before being allowed to move into the new hall. Some of the requirements included having a grade point average of at least 2.5, having no serious discipline record and having been involved in extra-curricular activities.

It also is the first residence hall at ISU to have a zero-tolerance policy toward alcohol, even for residents who are of legal age.

If a resident receives even one alcohol violation incident, he or she will be required to move out of Maple.

It’s one thing for the university administration to take an interest in its students, and the requirements certainly aren’t negative. But the Maple prerequisites seem to be intended to showcase the university instead of inspiring students to succeed.

Maple Hall is certainly a popular commodity, judging by the 1,200 requests the department received from applicants wanting to live there. But what sort of image is the department projecting, making a residence hall seem more like a “popular item” than a home away from home?

As the university’s Master Plan continues, students can expect more of the Maple Hall rules and regulations for other dorms.

Of course, as Director of Residence Randy Alexander pointed out to the Daily on a guided media tour of the building last week, nobody is required to live in a residence hall.

But when the Master Plan takes full effect, and all residence halls are like the “new and improved Maple Hall,” who will want to live in them?