2008 Woodie Awards
Amid Some Confusion, Students Opt to Stay on Campus for Spring Break
Brian O'Connor
Issue date: 3/30/05 Section: News
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As many Manhattan students went home and abroad for spring break, some students with internships, on-campus jobs, or less than the required amount of money for airfare in their bank account stayed on campus in residence halls for the weeklong break from class.
While some were tanning on the beaches of Mexico and Florida, others were preparing for a week of relative solitude as the campus turned into a ghost town. As many students left, some opted to stay, requesting housing during a period where residence halls are officially closed. This, at points, caused a bit of confusion, as students were told they could and could not stay, depending on their individual situation.
College policy states that students are not allowed to stay on campus during Spring Break, but John Mark, the Director of Residence Life, permitted students from outside the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to stay if they could not arrange a way to travel back home. Students working on campus were also given special permission to remain in their building, as long as they were working during the break.
Some students expressed annoyance at the school's policy on closing residence halls during Spring Break, citing nearby schools that allow their residents to remain in the halls during break, and even the summer if they chose to. Responding to those criticisms, Mark asserted that Manhattan College is much smaller than nearby schools, and therefore it is more important for every student to be accounted for. Since the student body is smaller than nearby universities, the rules change.
Though some students felt irritated by the requirement of signing up to stay for break, and the extra pass allowed to permitted students, Mark explained how these measures were required to maintain safety in the building as many Resident Assistants were off-campus for the break and were not required to stay. With a lack of RAs in every building, those that stayed were on constant beeper duty, requiring them to report back to their residence hall in the case of an emergency. If students were not accounted for, Firefighters could, theoretically, have no idea where to find students in the event of a fire. Without passes and tighter security, Mark said, there could have been serious consequences in the case of an emergency.
While some were tanning on the beaches of Mexico and Florida, others were preparing for a week of relative solitude as the campus turned into a ghost town. As many students left, some opted to stay, requesting housing during a period where residence halls are officially closed. This, at points, caused a bit of confusion, as students were told they could and could not stay, depending on their individual situation.
College policy states that students are not allowed to stay on campus during Spring Break, but John Mark, the Director of Residence Life, permitted students from outside the Tri-State area of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut to stay if they could not arrange a way to travel back home. Students working on campus were also given special permission to remain in their building, as long as they were working during the break.
Some students expressed annoyance at the school's policy on closing residence halls during Spring Break, citing nearby schools that allow their residents to remain in the halls during break, and even the summer if they chose to. Responding to those criticisms, Mark asserted that Manhattan College is much smaller than nearby schools, and therefore it is more important for every student to be accounted for. Since the student body is smaller than nearby universities, the rules change.
Though some students felt irritated by the requirement of signing up to stay for break, and the extra pass allowed to permitted students, Mark explained how these measures were required to maintain safety in the building as many Resident Assistants were off-campus for the break and were not required to stay. With a lack of RAs in every building, those that stayed were on constant beeper duty, requiring them to report back to their residence hall in the case of an emergency. If students were not accounted for, Firefighters could, theoretically, have no idea where to find students in the event of a fire. Without passes and tighter security, Mark said, there could have been serious consequences in the case of an emergency.