Roommates talking in their dorm room. In August, 2011 Residence Life enacted new rules regarding overnight guests and Welcome Week. The rules were met with a resolution from SGA.

Residence Life implemented significant changes to the overnight guest policy which provoked a resolution from the Student Government Association.

The change in guest policy started with a ban on overnight guests, including other Central Michigan University students, during Welcome Week.

The new protocol required a form to be submitted by students who wanted to host guests once weekday overnight guests were allowed after Aug. 26. The policy requires students to submit a request form that must be signed by all roommates in the room, the resident assistant and the residence hall director 48 hours before the visit.

Under the old policy, non-student guests had to sign in at the front desk and register their vehicles with the CMU Police while other CMU students were allowed entry with a student ID.

This is the first time CMU has implemented either policy, and Joan Schmidt, associate director of Residence Life, said it stems from problems during the 2010-11 school year.

“Last year was just awful — we start so much earlier than other schools,” Schmidt said.

The ban includes those who go to CMU living in another hall or off campus.

She said the new Welcome Week policy was implemented to help students bond with new roommates, instead of old friends from home.

“This is the optimum time for students to get to know their roommates and to start a good academic year,” Schmidt said.

The purpose of the new weekday policy is to encourage students to study and focus on classes.

The weekday overnight guest policy was met with a SGA resolution in oppositon passed Nov. 21.

SGA Sen. Stephanie Jaczkowski introduced and received approval for a resolution opposing the policy.

The Clinton Township senior cited numerous reasons for SGA’s opposition, including that students are basically leasers of the university and should have the right to invite guests as they choose, that students should be allowed to decided their own guest policies in their roommate agreements and that student safety was not listed as one of the reasons for the policy change.

“Last year, a growing issue for students was having people stay in their room night after night,” said Tricia Henry, a Woldt resident assistant and Illinois junior. “The policy is supposed to make dorm rooms easier to study in.”

Sean Kolhoff, an SGA senator and Mount Pleasant junior, said he believes the policy will hurt students going through unique situations and who need the flexibility to stay on campus.

“It would have been impossible for me to make it to all my classes last year if I couldn’t sleep in my friend’s room,” Kolhoff said.

Jaczkowski said SGA’s ultimate goal is the repeal of the guest policy she considers unnecessarily restrictive.

“Now that the resolution has passed, we can start coordinating meetings or other forums with the student body in order to address the issues,” said Colleen McNeely, SGA vice president and Brighton senior.

I had some awakenings this year. Sea scallops at $18 or $20 a pound at Meijer? No thank you. They’d taste like rubber balls if I cooked them, anyway.

My mother did her best to raise me to be a balanced eater. She tried so hard. But I was a terrible child.

Once, she made dinner and it was something I didn’t like. I think it was pork chops. When I complained, she told me I could eat it or go to bed for the night. I looked her right in the eye, got up and went to my room.

I’ve expanded my horizons since I was little, but I’m no less particular. I’ve encountered a lot of problems in the residence halls because of that.

I’d be in the residential cafeterias last year, picking the mushrooms and onions out of my pasta, wondering if I was doomed to starve because they wouldn’t cook my noodles without all the ickies.

But it wasn’t all bad. On popcorn chicken wrap night, I went crazy.

Now I have my own apartment, and instead of being a gourmet chef, I really don’t eat much at all. When I have a 30 minute break between classes all I have time to make is macaroni and cheese because of preparation time and the dishes afterwards, and if I’m out of milk, I’m out of luck.

Of course, I’ve thought of preparing food and freezing it until I’m ready to eat it. Unfortunately, I lack the foresight and always forget about it. When I come home at night, I’m tired and not ashamed to admit that I feel too lazy to cook three pounds of chicken.

Early in the year for some reason, I ate a lot of shrimp. Sam’s Club shrimp. Now I’m so tired of it, I’m ready to take what I have left and return it to the wild.

Last year an adviser promised me I would miss not having to cook or do dishes. I told him he was crazy. Now my stomach is telling me I’m crazy.

Although, I do have to clarify something — though I miss the convenience, I do not regret moving off campus. Had I not left the dorms, I’d be so broke that I would have turned to loan sharks to pay the bills and they’d be coming to pummel me with nail-ridden planks.

But at least I’d be able to run away on a full stomach.

“We’ve been packed for every game so far,” said Steve Hilberg, general manager of Buffalo Wild Wings, 1904 S. Mission St. “All the Tigers games we fill up, and for the Lions we’re getting great turnouts on Sundays. (Monday) was huge with both of them playing.”

Buffalo Wild Wings reported an increase of 20 to 30 percent in business from numbers recorded this time in 2010.

“This month is definitely the busiest with Central Michigan University football and the NFL and everything going on,” Hilberg said. “Any time any Detroit teams make the playoffs, we get a good turnout.”

Other bars and restaurants that air the games have seen similar success, including O’Kelly’s Sports Bar & Grill, 2000 S. Mission St.

“We’re bringing in new excitement to the bar everyday,” said O’Kelly’s Co-Owner John Hunter. “We’ve seen a significant increase and we’re seeing record-type crowds.”

Hunter’s staff has improved the viewing experience for sports fans coming to watch the games by installing sirens that go off when either Detroit team scores. They also have jersey giveaways and theme drink specials on game nights.

Monday marked the first time in 10 years that the Lions played on Monday Night Football, the last time being a 35-0 beating by the Rams in 2001.

“O’Kelly’s has been open almost 10 years and that was the first time the Lions played on Monday Night Football here, so we didn’t know what to expect,” Hunter said. “People got here three hours before the game just to get a seat.”

Sports bars have proven to be popular viewing places, though there are a number of people who would rather watch the game huddled around a TV in residence halls.

Greenville freshman Stephen Lillie lives in Trout Hall and said he would rather watch the game there than out at Buffalo Wild Wings.

“I just like hanging out with the people here, like we’re one big family,” he said. “I love it because at home it was just me and my dad and my little brother. I like having a lot of people here to watch it (with).”

The parade will begin at 11 a.m. Saturday morning near Lot 22 on the corner of Washington and Preston streets.

From there, it will turn onto Bellows Street and make its way to Main Street before finally reaching Broadway Street downtown. The final stop will be at the Sacred Heart Church, 302 S. Kinney Ave.

There are over 30 groups participating, and sign-up is still open until Wednesday. One of the groups involved is the south area residence halls with Fremont sophomore McKenna Osborn leading the way.

With so many people in her group, Osborn said she feels like their Wizard of Oz float will have one of the best designs.

“I think we have the power in numbers and creativity,” Osborn said. “Plus, we have a lot of sequins and fun, dedicated people.”

Osborn, like many other Central Michigan University students, will be competing for the Maroon Cup and Golden Goblet for which points are gathered to determine the ultimate winners.

First, second and third place winners will be determined for those contending. Custer junior and parade organizer Samara Spotts said the floats will be judged in five categories: spirit, creativity, use of chosen theme, design and overall look.

For Osborn, competition is not the only reason she joined. Building the float led to many new friendships within her group. Since her float is being built by four different residence halls, she said it is a good way for students living in the same area to get to know each other.

“We always enjoy Homecoming, and we wanted to unite south quad so the other residents can get to know one another,” Osborn said.

Normally, RAs receive their own bedrooms for personal space as well as a place to speak confidentially with residents, said Merrill Residence Hall Director Lizandro Tremolada.

Because of the record number of freshmen last year, most RAs have not had their own bedrooms last year or this year.

“I haven’t noticed any difference in our turnover numbers with regard to that specific issue,” Tremolada said.

Assistant Director of Residence Life Kimberly Voisin said the number of RAs hired for this year remained average despite the overcrowding, at around 72 new RA and MA staff members.

Based on a recent survey of the retention rate of RAs by Residence Life, the amount of RAs leaving their positions for off-campus living has stayed the same.

Tricia Henry, a junior from Chicago, is going into her second year as an RA. She had to share a room last year, but this year she was able to move her extra roommate into another room, giving her more space.

“It’s hard to have a roommate and not have a space to talk to our residents,” she said. “Coming into it, my expectations were let down.”

Henry decided to stay because she said her care for her residents outweighed her need for space. But she still feels the tight living conditions are not fair to residents or the RAs.

“I’m sure it bothers some people, other people, not so much,” said Saxe Residence Hall Director Faye Reber. “I’ve had seven of my nine-person staff return from last year and they had been living with extra residents. I didn’t notice a huge change.”

Vermontville junior MacKensye Ancona said when she became an RA last year, it was part of the understanding that a benefit would be having your own room. She said the close living quarters caused problems among residents and she even tried transferring to get her own room.

Other RAs feel the same way, she said.

“We’re all about having incoming residents succeed, but when you’re moving around to different rooms, that affects a lot of different things,” Ancona said. “I don’t think the university thinks about that.”

Ancona said her passion is to be a resource for students, and she feels she cannot adequately do her job without her own space. When her second year of being an RA is completed, she plans to move off campus.

Most RAs spend their last year off campus, she said, but for her, the cramped living condition was a factor in the decision.

“We don’t want to be selfish and say, ‘You didn’t give me my own room, so I’m quitting,’” she said. “But at the same time, it’s not fair.”

Residence Life officials said overnight guests will not be allowed to stay in residence halls until Friday and weekday guests will now need written approval 48 hours before their guest arrives.

Rather than accompanying students on their adjustment from high school to college, these strict guidelines are prohibiting them from experiencing the most basic transition of all — socializing with new people.

Associate Director of Residence Life Joan Schmidt cited the large population of freshmen last year and the amount of guests who visited them as one of the reasons for the implementation of the new rules.

Schmidt also said the Welcome Week policy of not allowing guests was created to encourage students to bond with new roommates rather than spend time with friends from home.

Last year there were 175 rooms housing five students, meanwhile this year no rooms have those issues. Residence Life is punishing this year’s students from internal faults last year.

Most other universities start classes later, so making the trip to CMU for Welcome Weekend is clearly a top choice when these people are forming weekend plans, therefore adding to the amount of residence hall visitors in recent years.

Students are not the determiners for when classes begin. That is administration’s job — so why are students being punished?

Freshmen students are required to live in residence halls unless their home is within 60 miles of campus. Students upset with these new rules are forced to abide by them because of the 60-mile rule.

With the 2011-2012 standard room and board with the lowest meal plan running at $6,688 per year, that’s more than $600 per month for a typical student staying 10 months. When compared to other apartments this price is ridiculous.

Students not only have the right to determine which friends they will spend time with (whether they are CMU students or friends from home), but they can decide when and where to see them.

Officials said this ban includes students who attend CMU living in another residence hall, and also those students who live off campus. How is this encouraging those living in residence halls to befriend other CMU students when the ban directly prohibits such from happening?

While fostering healthy relationships between roommates is an admirable goal, paying customers should be able to decide who they want to spend their time with.

Residence Life has become the policy creator, with residence hall directors acting as parents, and resident assistants working as babysitters. This is hardly the college experience and freedom high school seniors picture for their first year of college.

Rather than respecting residents as adults who need guidance and support in transitioning into the college lifestyle, Residence Life has increasingly decided that freshmen need to have most decisions made for them.

Residence hall directors were pleased with the policy’s effect to minimize traffic and chaos in hallways.

“It was a pretty quiet night,” said Justin Gawronski, Celani, Saxe and Herrig halls worker in the East area. “We were surprised with how little traffic we had on Thursday.”

Many students went out, but made other arrangements to stay in apartments to prevent getting caught sneaking a guest in.

“From what I heard, the front desk didn’t have any issues with the policy,” the Macomb sophomore said. “Students knew the terms.”

Gawronski walked the halls during his shift and found no one trying to sneak guests in or prop open side doors to residence halls.

Students knew when the side doors were locked and they needed their key and a photo identification to enter, he said. Each hall’s side doors close at different times this semester.

RHDs said most students were not confused by the policy.

“Overall, I had an excellent reaction,” said Bill O’Dell, Troutman and Cobb RHD. “People really seemed to understand the policy.”

Residence Life contacted students moving into residence halls explaining the policy via email, and reminded them at check-in.

James Span Jr., Campbell Hall RHD, said he was not aware of any issues in Campbell during Welcome Weekend.

“We focused on the positive side,” Span said. “It’s all about how you present the material.”

Most students understood it would help them to have a good start, while others mentioned previous semesters spent in residence halls.

“As difficult as it may be, we need the residents to trust in us,” Span said. “We’re trying to put this in place to address issues that have gone on in the past.”

Span said previous years have brought tension between roommates because of guests residing in rooms for weeks at a time.

Residents are not always candid about what situations make them uncomfortable during room contract meetings with resident assistants.

“We’re not trying to be old, cranky, and outdated people trying to prevent their social behaviors,” Span said.

At least, that’s what Residence Life officials have said, stating overnight guests will not be allowed until Aug. 26, and guests on weekdays will now need written approval by a residence hall director and all roommates.

This is the first time Central Michigan University has implemented this policy, and Joan Schmidt, associate director of Residence Life, said it stems from problems during the 2010-2011 school year.

“Last year was just awful — we start so much earlier than other schools,” Schmidt said.

The ban includes those who go to CMU living in another hall or off campus.

She said the new Welcome Week policy was implemented to help students bond with new roommates, instead of old friends from home.

“This is the optimum time for students to get to know their roommates and to start a good academic year,” Schmidt said.

The purpose of the new weekday policy is to encourage students to study and focus on classes.

“Before classes start and on weeknights, that’s when people should be here to study,” Schmidt said.

Students will now ask a resident assistant or multicultural adviser to obtain the necessary forms, and will meet with the RHD for final approval 48 hours in advance before the guest arrives.

“Forty-eight hours in advance is ideal,” Saxe RHD Faye Reber said, “but the RHD will have discretion to work with the student in an emergency.”

The new policy was put on the ResLife website this summer, sent in the ResLife express newsletter in June to incoming residents, and also sent out on Aug. 1 with the letter informing students of their roommates.

Even though students were notified of the policy in three ways, some students are still unaware of it.

Clinton township sophomore Tanika Owens said the policy should have been made more public, specifically by email.

“Checking in at the front desk of residence halls and registering cars with the police department should be enough to have someone stay overnight,” Owens said.

However, she would support a policy that prohibited guests the week before exams.

Wallace senior Chris Strobel said the weekday policy seems like a “waste of the time” for RHDs.

“As long as the university knows who’s staying in each dorm, I don’t see why it would be a problem,” Strobel said. “I don’t see why they would have to control that.”

Room capacity rules are not changing for weekends. Residents sign an agreement with their roommates at the beginning of the year on their own room’s policy on the gender and amount of overnight guests they are comfortable with.

As before, a maximum of ten overnight guests are allowed total, including residents, and guests should stay no longer than three consecutive nights.

Reber said if she becomes aware of a negative situation happening on the weekends, she will address it.

- University Editor Theresa Clift contributed to this report.

Academic Adviser Lynne L’Hommedieu said her best advice for students struggling to stay on task during final exam week is to keep healthy and get adequate rest.

Even just walking while studying is a great option, she said.

She also encourages students to reach out for help if they need it.

“If students are having trouble with math or writing, go get help at the centers,” L’Hommedieu said. “By finals week, it’s too late for tutoring. Students should realize going to their professors is their best bet.”

She also said finding a study buddy is a great way to stay on track.

Farmington junior Grace Stevenson, who is a resident assistant in Wheeler, said everyone prepares for exams in a different way.

“We have two lounges in the Towers, but they’re also located in every hall on campus,” she said. “Each floor has a study room too, and depending on the rules of each floor, they can be quiet places to study.”

Stevenson also said the 24-hour “quiet hours” in the residence halls is essential for effective studying.

“Personally, I keep my desk pretty cleared-off while studying for exams,” she said. “I always keep low music on and write down what I need to learn. It keeps it engraved in my mind.”

White Lake sophomore and future resident assistant Lauren Zaloga frequently uses the study room in Carey Hall to prepare for exams.

“It’s quiet in there, so if I really need to get something done, that’s where I’ll go,” Zaloga said.

She said studying in the dorms can be difficult whether it be because friends are closer, or because the noise makes studying difficult to focus on.

Stevenson also noted that furniture in the dorms is moved out before finals begin, so there is limited noise from students who are leaving campus early.

“My advice for students is to utilize the study rooms or go to the library,” Zaloga said. “Even though it’s a little more of a walk, you’re likely to get more done in the library.”