GW’s history as a commuter school has left the endowment weak relative to Harvard and other such schools. As a result, the University’s ability to strengthen academics, build more residence halls and create a world-class institution is dependent on only two things: student tuition and investment properties. If the BZA imposes a cap on University enrollment, such an action would hamper the University’s ability to continue improving the quality of residential and academic life for its students. And while it may seem that a cap would solve the problem of classroom overcrowding and J Street lines, it would make the situation worse. A cap would prevent GW from fixing those problems.

Limiting students means limiting the University’s ability to become a better institution. The campus plan addresses the issues of overcrowding. It sets as priorities the construction and development of new academic buildings and new residence halls, including more than 2,000 new beds by 2005. It also calls for beautification and historic preservation of the campus and Foggy Bottom neighborhood. It is a document designed to better the University for its students.

So what about the community? The University moved to Foggy Bottom in 1912, and in those 87 years the neighborhood and University have matured together. Foggy Bottom is a neighborhood that should be fought for, and the community’s vigilance should be admired. In light of that, the University has been in negotiations with community representatives for well over a year by attending and hosting general meetings and then participating in a formal mediation process. Through that communication the University developed new additions to the plan that went to the heart of the concerns raised.

We added 1,350 new beds to the campus plan and agreed to house 70 percent of our undergraduate population. We are requiring, after 2002, that all freshman and sophomores live on-campus. We will extend the Code of Student Conduct to all students on campus and off-campus. And we are offering voluntary limits of off-campus building acquisitions, to name only a few concessions to the community. However, it seems what the District and the ANC do not want and cannot stand are students living in Foggy Bottom. They want to forcibly limit students from living in Foggy Bottom.

It is important that students realize what is happening. Students are being treated as second-class citizens. The Office of Planning, the ANC and some members of the City Council want to alter the D.C. Human Rights Act, and make it legal to discriminate against students. They want to limit your freedom to choose where you want to live.

We cannot allow our rights, or anyone else’s rights to be eroded further. We must join with students at Georgetown, Catholic, American and every other student in the city and demand to meet with the council and mayor. And if you want to keep your right to live where you would like, register to vote.

-The writer, a senior majoring in international affairs, serves as special assistant to the assistant vice president for government relations, Bernard Demczuk.