To start off, I must say I am overall a fan of the freshmen class. Everyone I have met has been very nice and they seem like a pretty cool group of people.

However, I have one rather 'large' problem concerning the class of 2009. It is just too big.

The freshmen this year are one of the largest classes UD has seen in a long time. To be more exact, there are around 2000 freshmen, making them over 30% of the undergraduates on campus.

At a glance, these statistics seem encouraging. They show UD is expanding and becoming a stronger academic force. However, these statistics are not as exciting when you are hungry and trying to go get a sandwich.

As a sophomore living in Marianist Hall who depends on her meal plan, these freshmen have made my life a lot harder.

Last year it would usually take 5 minutes to go get a sandwich in the Emporium. However, this year I have to power walk out of my 11 o'clock class, excited I got out a few minutes early, only to enter the Emporium and find the line wrapped around the corner.

There have also been rumors circulating that there are so many freshmen this year that next year as sophomores they will have to be given some of the junior housing.

This makes housing for juniors more risky. No longer can we depend on Garden Apartments when we get a bad lottery number.

Why should the class of 2008 be punished and have to potentially live behind Burger King in order to accommodate another class? It is not our fault UD admitted too many people.

If my sociology classes have taught me anything, it is that you cannot blame the individual. Rather, one should look at society as a whole and the forces that govern upon it.

It is not the class of 2009's fault they are so big, we cannot blame them for wanting to come here because we know it's a great place. The finger must be pointed at the university. When you accept a large number of students and too many enroll, something has to be done about it.

I understand more students means more money for the university. However, UD needs to start being more concerned about the students they already have.

Get another register at the Emporium? Turn Marycrest or Marianist into all sophomores and accept less freshmen next year? I'm open to any of these ideas!

UD has to understand when you accept a large freshmen class, you are stuck with them for four years and the problems you had accommodating them during year one are going to keep rolling over.

Something needs to be done about acceptance rates for the class of 2010 if the university does not want to expand beyond their capacity.

When it comes to accepting freshmen, one can clearly see that 'the more the merrier' is not always the best concept.