Recently, one cannot turn on the radio or glance at a newspaper headline without seeing or hearing about the decreasing SIUC enrollment. Suddenly, many different institutions on or around campus are concerned an perplexed about this new problem. Committees and think tanks have been established to find reasons why this has become a problem.

Declining enrollment means less money for the University as well as the community. While many reasons are behind this decline, as a student I can provide some underlying causes.

Many students are fed up with having to deal with unscrupulous landlords, towing companies that take the law into their own hands, utility companies and police harassment.

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The University itself is a wonderful learning institution. The entities mentioned above, however, are alienating students. The city allows the tow truck companies to extort thousands of dollars from students. The police strut around bars in an attempt to find underage drinkers so they can write them a ticket. Anyone who has been to city court is aware that these tickets are simply a free $250 for the city. The police harass students only because they know they are easily frightened into paying the outrageous fines the court imposes.

Landlords have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars in student security deposits and other money because again, they know their stunts are intimidating. The utility companies are allowed to charge outrageous fees to turn on services such as water and cable. Everyone realizes that a $50 deposit for water is nothing more than extortion.

I am amused at how the bloodsuckers are scrambling as they try to figure out how to entice students to stay at SIUC and get new ones to come. It is humorous to me how so many residences and institutions that once whined and cried about students are now so concerned about keeping them.

If city and University officials really wanted to improve the image of SIUC they would spend less time worrying about college parties and Recreation Center hours and pay more attention to getting rid of tow trucks, landlords and utility companies that tarnish the University’s image. If students would feel welcome in Carbondale, maybe more of them would come back and other prospective students would be compelled to come here.

Graduate student, educational administration and higher education