This past weekend, the men’s basketball team made us all proud to be a part of the Villanova community with their championship-caliber performance in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, at home, the administration managed to make us all feel quite the opposite.

One day after the Wildcats’ thrilling overtime victory against Boston College that propelled them into the Elite Eight for the first time in 18 years, an e-mail was sent to all on-campus residents informing them of the security policies for the following day.

Among the provisions for the West campus apartments were, “Beginning at 2:00 pm, Wildcard access to the apartments will be limited to the main doors that face the courtyard.  This will be the only point of access and egress from the apartments, except in the event of an emergency.”  Similar measures were taken in other dorms.

In addition, Public Safety officers were posted in dorm rooms along with residence assistants to check Wildcards (and if needed, to transform into a one-man barricade impenetrable to herds of stampeding college students).

Yet this “lock down” was not limited to just residence halls. Elsewhere on campus, classrooms were locked, denying students an opportunity to study in there – because they were afraid that in our excitement over a win, we would let all of the lab rats free in Tolentine? Or take the chairs?

During one of the proudest and most joyous times the University has been fortunate enough to experience, the campus took on the feel of a police state. Just one day after the University asked us to celebrate with class, the administration apparently decided that we were incapable of doing so on our own. And this enforced classiness was simply tasteless.

While we understand the concern the University might have that students could possibly get unruly, this lockdown measure seems to be overkill.

After the Boston College game last Friday night, there were no massive riots or roving bands of students destroying the campus. Sure, there were celebrations, and students gathered in open spaces between dorms to commemorate the event, but is this so bad?

One of the goals of university athletics is supposedly to unite the campus community, and this is exactly what was occurring.

Throughout the season, students conducted themselves in the same respectable manner that Coach Wright instills into his team and encourages of fans. Sunday was no exception. We did not revert to our primal states and martial law was not declared.

Last week’s greatest loss was not a heartbreaker to Florida but rather the loss of faith that this University apparently has in its students.