Editorial: Financial aid should be priority

On Tuesday, April 21, the annual Town Hall meeting took place in the BLC Cavalla Room. One of the main points discussed was a plan for improving housing. Why is housing such a prominent issue when it will affect only a few hundred people? Another topic mentioned, of increasing financial aid, affects the entire campus, and deserved more play.
The housing improvements discussed were the building of West Village Commons, the new residence hall that features double rooms, suites and apartments, and the renovations scheduled to occur in Switlik Hall. While this is important for those who will actually live there, it is not as important to others. The building of West Village Commons is important to house the growing student body at Rider, but does the building have to outshine the other buildings by so much? Recent photos of the residence hall show that it looks much more updated and much better to live in than other halls on campus. Also, are the changes in Switlik really necessary? With the economy as bad as it currently is, the money spent to make that one building prettier should be used to increase financial aid to current and incoming students. Money is such a touchy issue lately, and everyone needs to know where his or her financial aid money is coming from.
It is great that Rider hopes that the number of students will be growing next year, but the school should also keep in mind that the increased number of students means an even greater need for help in paying for education. In the future, more attention should be paid to issues that affect the entire campus, not just certain people.