Of course, this is assuming that Marquette's mission goes beyond providing a safe place for studying. It assumes that Marquette's goal is to foster growth not just in academia, but in the real world. It assumes that Marquette wants to integrate its students into the community at large, rather than alienate them from it, which is exactly what the current visitor policy at the Raynor is doing: alienating Marquette from the community at large.

Let's consider the policy itself. It is fair to say that this policy is meant to discriminate against a certain group of people: people who do not have a specific academic purpose at the library and who cannot afford to pay $5 per visit. In short, this policy is designed to discriminate against bums, the poor, the homeless, the troublemakers and all the other riffraff who would seek to make this pristine university unclean. Is discrimination like this justifiable? Maybe it is, maybe it isn't. I'm not sure I can say. But justifiable or not, I am not going to condone it. Not only does this policy discriminate against those who can't afford to pay the $5, it also alienates Marquette from the members of Milwaukee's community who refuse to pay it. They are address-holding members of the Milwaukee community; the community of which Marquette professes to be a part.

I met a man recently at the Milwaukee Public Library. This man was irate, having just come from the Raynor and having refused to pay $5. I asked him why he was so upset when he could still use MPL. Apparently, the Raynor houses some Catholic periodicals that MPL doesn't, and apparently Marquette doesn't want to share its resources with a man who graduated from UWM, has taught in MPS for 20 years and has lived in Milwaukee all his life. He called Marquette exclusive, saying it caters only to the rich.

This encounter has given me yet another reason for not feeling pride in having graduated from Marquette. Walking into an office and saying you come from Marquette will help land you a job. But walking anywhere else and telling people you're from this school will get you dirty looks. Though I'd like to think these looks aren't deserved, I understand that policies like the new policy at the Raynor are where this resentment begins. This policy is not an immediate problem for any of us. Nevertheless it does present a problem.

This new policy is the result of fear. Although the Marquette community has every reason to take precautions for the safety of its students, it does not have reason to act so afraid. A suggestion: When assaulted, rather than withdrawing into itself, the Marquette community should reach out. It should reach out with good faith and the knowledge that supporting the larger community of Milwaukee means supporting the growth of Marquette's own community.

I came to Marquette because of its urban location and its professed community outlook. I came to Marquette to escape the isolationist attitude that is so prevalent today. Marquette is a part of a community that should not be shunned, but welcomed as a part of Marquette's community. It is possible for Marquette to embrace the people of Milwaukee while protecting its own, and yet I do not believe the current policy at the Raynor reflects this possibility. I would like to see this policy reconsidered.

Reinbold is a recent graduate from the College of Arts and Sciences.