Protest at Seattle U over nursing home closure

About 40 protesters held a candlelight vigil outside the Seattle University administration building Thursday, saying the scheduled closure of a campus nursing home contradicts the school's core values.  Forcing 135 residents to find a new home does not uphold the Jesuit tradition of service to others and social justice, said sophomore Matt Salazar, who organized the demonstration attended by students, staff and faculty. University officials said the Bessie Burton Sullivan Skilled Nursing Residence -- a three-story building with 60,000 square feet -- needs to be converted into dorm rooms, classrooms, science labs and faculty offices for an institution with a growing enrollment and space demands.  "They say they made this decision for the good of the students," said Salazar, 19, the student campus minister for community service. "I don't want an elderly person kicked out of their home for my benefit."  The university's decision turned on a basic question, senior university Vice President Timothy Leary said: "Does it make sense to run and operate a skilled nursing facility given the pressing needs" of space on campus and the university's educational mission?  When the nursing home opened in 1990, the university had 4,600 students. Now there are 7,200, and the average student age has dropped from 27 to 21, which has increased the demand for dorm rooms and other spaces, Leary said.

Read more at Seattle PI.com.