The Administration and Office of Residence Life has strict rules regarding overnight guests and this is great. They make the campus safer in case of any emergencies and they are set in place with good intentions.
However, are these rules a little too strict? Specifically, should residents be allowed to have an overnight guest of the opposite sex?
The SXU policies regarding overnight guests are, “Residents in on-campus residence halls or University apartments may host two overnight guests at least 17 years of age and of the same sex, provided they have the consent of their roommate(s). Siblings who are 17 years of age or older and are of the opposite sex will not be permitted overnight visitation,” and this is provided they have a parent or guardian sign a form.
Siblings who are under the age of 17 and of the opposite sex may stay overnight.
I know they mean well with keeping everyone safe and that is incredibly important.
Yet, not being allowed to house someone of the opposite sex overnight is a little ridiculous. What the administration and Office of Residence Life is afraid of is the possible bad reference to the its reputation.
There, I said it.
Not gender or biological assignment, but how good the school looks as a whole.
SXU prides itself on how the school is a comfortable, encouraging place for everyone. They want the school to look pure and wholesome, compared to just a “party school”.
But having overnight guests will not tarnish SXU’s reputation.
When applying to schools, no one cares how the school leans for overnight guest policies.
I can say the school is not a party school, and having overnight guests of the opposite gender will not change that fact.
I completely agree that one should always get their roommates agreement when someone spends the night. I would be completely uncomfortable if there was an unwanted guest in my dorm.
However, having someone of the opposite sex spend the night is not that big of a deal. Mostly for the fact that it will not harm the universities reputation.
College students are in a world of socialization and need such socialization to grow as people.
This interaction includes people spending the night of the opposite gender. I agree that there should be a max limit of guests you can have overnight. This is purely out of safety concerns.
Yet having a few people spend the night that may be of the opposite sex is a normal part of social interaction. It is needed to grow and to feel more comfortable with the university.
On another note, people have best friends of the opposite sex. It is nice to spend time with friends regardless of their gender.
And yes, that includes spending time with them until dawn. And if a sibling of the opposite sex and above the age of 17 wanted to spend the night? That should not be a problem either.
Although the administration may fear the tarnishing of a young person’s mind, people deserve to see their siblings from home, for it connects them to their upbringing and brings a little piece of home to them.
The University, however, has a reputation and the Residence Life staff just wants to make sure everyone is safe and comfortable.
I respect that. There should be no problem and no restriction of who can spend the night.
It will not dampen the university’s reputation. At other school’s this is an unheard of and ridiculous rule, such as University of Illinois Chicago and Illinois Institute of Technology.
They have security and an office of residence life that keeps their students safe, and both of them have a great reputation for their programs.
And would it not be fantastic to have others experience the school the way we do as students? To have them walk around the Quad, or visit the Shannon center, or even the dorms.
The university is beautiful and I want my guests to get the full experience by staying overnight.
We should be able to house significant others, friends, siblings, and relatives of the opposite sex because as long as everyone (including roommates) is consenting to letting someone stay overnight, it really should not be a problem.
Let the students have friends. Let them live the night.
I hope to see a change in residency guest policies in the future; and I am thankful that the University does a fantastic job of keeping us safe.
Emily Rubino
Opinions Editor
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