The facts: University Housing is currently considering a change, in which bathroom doors will have locks instead of suite doors in some on-campus suite-style residence halls.

Our Opinion: By taking off the lock on doors to hallways, University Housing is compromising the entire reason for having a suite door.

If University Housing  chooses change where the locks in suites are, the doors, which lead into each suite will no longer have a lock, while the bathroom doors will be equipped with locks. The residence halls affected will include any suite-style hall in which the suite entrances are inside the building, such as the Tri-Towers. Residence halls, like Bragraw and Lee, with breezeways will not be affected.

The phrase that comes to mind is “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” The current lock system works well as is. University Housing claims the switch will create a better environment for those staying in the dorm rooms. They say, the unlocked suites will create a more hall-style-like feel, which promotes unity and community. But let’s be honest, no one really talks about how their residence hall is like a family even if they live in a hall-style dorm. This reasoning is merely a tactic to make dorm-life sound more fun than the cramped environment it is.

The suite-style dorms were designed that way for a reason. Maybe University Housing should consider students might room in suites so they do not have to talk to that annoying kid who lives down the hall. Students chose suite-style so they can live with their friends, avoid locking their room doors, and not have to take a key to the bathroom.

If you’re in a suitestyle residence hall, you understand the sacredness of the tiny hall that connects you to the rest of the suite. Think about just anyone being able to walk through your suite door into that space. Allowing unauthorized persons to have access to a suite can be a security issue, and University Housing would not want to compromise the safety of any of its residents.

University Housing should partner with the Inter-Residence Council to determine what students really want. They should poll students on their opinion. Whichever way students want the suite doors locked, University Housing should honor that regardless of what they think is best for their residents’ community