Being a senior, I remember back when it was almost fun to live in Cooper Hall. The resident assistants were friendly and easy-going, the rules weren't as bad and they actually cared about our opinions and showed it by giving everyone a survey at the end of the year to see what we wanted changed. But the Cooper Hall of the past is LONG GONE. In its place… The Penitentiary, with warden Jim.

I knew things had drastically changed when the end of the "welcome to the dorms meeting" ended with this little gem: "This IS your warning! Don't ask the RA to let you off with a warning because THIS IS IT! And those who aren't here? TOO BAD! They missed their warning."

There are many new rules this semester as well: Men are not even allowed on the same floor as women after visitation, where before it was just no one of the opposite sex allowed in dorm rooms after hours. It used to be, if your suitemate or roommate did something bad, and they got written up, you were left out of it. Now? Now if you happen to be there, you get "documented" too! And now the straw to break the camel's back. There was a time that friends could sit on the patio or the courtyard of Cooper Hall as late as they wanted. No longer!

Now, "Visitation hours are to be applied to the patio and courtyard." What are they afraid we are going to do? Have wild monkey-sex in the middle of the patio?!

Some friends of mine were up this week. Their crime? Sitting in the courtyard after quiet hours! If I live on the third floor and can't hear them when I'm outside… why should they be written up? I'll tell you why. It's because the RAs this year, for whatever reason, are out for blood. And I guarantee that this will come back to bite the school in the rear. No one is going to want to live in a dorm where you have fewer freedoms than you would living at home with your parents!

Debra Fesmire is a senior Elementary Education major from Lexington.