The Residence Hall Association is considering a housing lottery proposal that gives rising sophomores several room options and meets the needs of next year’s juniors and seniors. The proposed system is a good one considering how overcrowded the University has become. But greater flaws exist within the residence hall system beyond the issue of how students choose their rooms.

With the possible approval of GW’s campus plan next month, the University has begun preparing for requiring the next incoming class to live on campus for two years. This new proposal, under which rising sophomores choose their rooms first, is a transition of sorts. This year, sophomores will use their lottery numbers to select rooms in designated buildings before juniors and seniors choose. Should the demand for sophomore rooms outpace supply, students left out will be placed on a waitlist that guarantees them a spot on campus.

In the past, sophomores have used upperclassman friends’ lottery numbers to be pulled into choice rooms. Sophomores would still be able to room with upperclassmen, but doing so would require them to forfeit their lottery number with no guarantee of a room. Juniors and seniors left without rooms, though, would be placed on a guaranteed wait list.

The proposed system would decrease the number of sophomores taking beds designated for juniors and seniors. But the larger, more important issue involves consistency of residence hall accommodations. Some have high-speed internet connections and multiple phone lines. Many do not. The Dakota has in-room washer-dryers. No other residence hall has similar facilities. Uniformity of amenities for all residence halls would prevent students from feeling shortchanged if they do not receive their first-choice room.

The future of the housing lottery is linked to the campus plan, which strives to address concerns of too many students living off campus. Many students move off campus because residence hall rooms are too expensive. If GW is truly concerned with the number of students who choose to move off campus, the University should bring residence hall prices in line with area rents.

The student-designed lottery proposal does a good job balancing the interests of sophomores and upperclassmen. But a complex scheme would not be necessary if all residence halls were more affordable and contained a uniform menu of amenities. This should be the University’s goal.