After accepting the largest freshman class in Penn State history, the university made several changes to campus housing in order to accommodate the huge amount of freshmen.

This includes the unfortunate retirement of one of its 17 special living options (SLOs).

The removal of the Martin Luther King Jr, House for Social Justice this semester upset some students, but the decision is just another example of poorly timed appreciation.

Lack of interest in the specialty housing was given as an explanation. If such is the case, then students have not earned the option.

The decision could not have been an easy one for the university -- naming a floor does not cost anything and it looks great from a public relations viewpoint -- but it might have been a necessary one. However, the permanency of the decision needs to be called into question.

Last January, 1,200 students who requested to live on campus were denied that request. Only 14 students were denied the year before. Housing has clearly become an issue at Penn State.

When the university scrambles to house freshmen wherever it can, students end up in specialty housing they did not request. While specific options are great for those who know they would feel comfortable in a specific environment, they could be a culture shock for students already overwhelmed by the college experience.

This is not in reference to the MLK floor alone, but all 17 SLOs ranging from engineering floors to international language floors. The university needs to immediately evaluate the process of SLOs to accommodate the demand each year.

To do this, a letter needs to be sent to all incoming freshmen stating that there are specific minimum participation levels needed for all SLOs in order to keep them for that semester. If those levels are not met, then the floors will simply not exist for that semester. We do this for courses, why not for housing?

This way, the MLK floor has a chance to return in the spring or next fall. Also, students who did not request to live on a specific floor won't have to live there. This is an easy way to solve the annual problem that plagues Penn State.

Residence Life, do not be so quick to eliminate SLOs, because demand changes. Do not deny students the opportunities they might come to appreciate again later.