There's no doubt that Bill Ayers and his lady Bernadine are interesting figures to hear from, having spent years evading the United States government during their stint as anarchists in the Weather Underground. It's no surprise, then, that University student groups invited Bill to speak on campus in 2009.Unfortunately, these University groups did not seem particularly concerned about Bill's connection to the organization believed to be connected to the murder of a current Waltham resident's father, Boston Police Sergeant Walter Schroeder.

Schroeder was shot in the back during an act of "revolution," or in other words, a bank robbery connected to the Weather Underground.

Thus, there was something painful about Bill's invitation to Brandeis, an old ache reawakened by an oversight.

Therein lies the problem. Brandeis does not hate Waltham.

Brandeis does not even disregard the people of Waltham, as evinced by the Waltham Group's continued interaction with less fortunate individuals in the vacinity of our university.

The problem is that the University simply overlooks the everyman of Waltham, the sort of person who doesn't exactly want for food, but feels a sting of pain when an accomplice of the murderers of one of their own is invited to enlighten Brandeis students.

Perhaps the invitation extended to Bill Ayers is the most recent and stunning oversight of Waltham public opinion, but it is hardly the first.

Every year, Brandeis gives out only four scholarships to Waltham residents, and only to top graduates.

Other scholarships tend to take more into account than class rank and GPA when selecting recipients.

Furthermore, is four a particularly fair cap, especially when one is selecting purely on numerical data?

In a sense, it is important for us as students to recognize that there is more to Waltham than just Moody Street and also that the citizens of the city deserve a great deal more of respect than what we have given them in the past.

Oh, yeah. And we don't let them into our athletic facilities, either.

Membership is free for students, staff and faculty.

Alumni and family of students pay $150 to $175 fees for their memberships. A student is allowed to bring a guest along for $5, but guest passes cannot be purchased and distributed for use at a later date. Individuals who are simply Waltham residents, however, are wholesale forbidden from ever entering.

I know what you're thinking, athletes and exercisers-the facilities are just too small; it's already way too packed in there. I'm aware of this, and I've got a potential solution.

Build a new gym.

Brandeis is currently experiencing a window of opportunity.

Our president is stepping down, and the University is excitedly planning on seeking out the right person to fill his shoes.

Facility improvement has already been listed as a major point of interest in the selection of a new president, so there's never been a better time or occasion to explore such possibilities.

Clearly, the University is suffering some major financial pain.

There's no doubt that we're hurting for money at the moment. This project, however, is one for contemplation, one that should remain in the University's consciousness until a solution is produced.

Selling passes to Waltham residents for a more reasonable fee-at least, under the $150 to $175 range-would pull in a good amount of useful revenue for the University.

Maybe it would take a petition. Maybe it would take a couple of years.

Maybe it will be fought for and protested for and grasped tightly by the students of Brandeis who feel a particular affection for the town that has housed us since our inception.

No matter what it takes, I believe any Brandeis student with that special spark for social justice will find that it is a worthy cause to allow Waltham residents into our athletic facilities for a nominal membership fee-which has the potential to partially alleviate some of the University's financial woes.

It's the least we can do.