LETTER: Ain't Broke?

It is laudable that Residential Living is attempting to cut down on bureaucratic inefficiency by combining into a single office. I hope that they are farsighted enough to do this without increasing the red tape that seems to occur whenever a campus office is needed. Already there are frequently heard groans when dealing with West Campus, which, while staffed by devoted people, somtimes can be less than responsive to the needs of the residences. Will this effect be tripled when North, West and South Campus become the PanCampus office? Penn administrators have shown great ability in the past to break down working systems and what little community currently exists in residences in the name of efficiency and centralization. My college house is saddled with a package system, desk policy and other rules that, no matter how well they work in the High Rises, are simply ludicrous -- and sometimes dangerous -- in our environment. While the need for a central office that keeps its eye on liability and legal matters is clear, it is even clearer from this end that each building is unique and must be given the leeway to create the best possible environment for our residents. I have reason to believe that the new system will cause a major trend away from this possibility, with the result of a much worse living environment for all on-campus students. JEFFREY PORTEN Graduate Fellow Van Pelt College House