Security tightens in residence halls
Residence Life will be enforcing stricter safety procedures in the residence halls this weekend for Friday’s home football game against Western Michigan.
From 8 p.m. Thursday until 7 a.m. Sunday, all residence hall doors — except the front doors — will be locked. Students will need their CMU ID and their room key to enter their hall.
Each four-student room will be allowed a cumulative total of six guests over the course of the weekend.
Trout Residence Hall Director Ann Krzyzaniak said the rules are simply a safety precaution. “This way, if something happens, we’ll have a list of who’s here,” she said.
Two student rooms in Barnes and Robinson halls are allowed three guests, said Michelle Veith, assistant director of Residence Life.
Other CMU students who do not live in the residence halls but are visiting will be considered guests. Guests will be issued a wristband upon registering at the hall’s front desk.
The wristbands are valid only for the hall that issued them and students will need to get another wristband if they visit another residence hall, Veith said.
“It’s more important at night,” said Barnes Residence Hall Director Luanne Goffnett.
Residence Life staff have been working hard to ensure students are aware of the rules, Goffnett said. The subject has been brought up at a recent hall council meeting.
Goffnett said students appreciate the rules, because they view the residence halls as their home and want to feel safe.
“Especially, for Barnes, where we’re right next to Washington, which is a highly-traveled street, we want the building to be secure,” she said.
Students are responsible for the behavior of their guests, Veith said.
CMU Police Chief Bill Yeagley said the police department is increasing its presence on campus this weekend as well.
“Our focus is going to be all across campus, wherever problems arise,” he said.
Yeagley said there will not be a police presence in the residence halls unless Residence Life calls them in to assist in handling a problem.
