Students on open hours: Not perfect, but necessary

More than two-thirds of EMU students randomly surveyed recently say they are not satisfied with open hours as presently structured in the four dorms on campus.

Sixty-eight percent of 120 students surveyed by the News and Feature Writing class think open hours should either be discarded, or that open hours should be uniform throughout all the dorms. Maplewood, Elmwood, Oakwood, and Northlawn, housing mostly first and second year students, have the most restrictive open hours: 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and 3 p.m. to 1 a.m. on Friday. Saturday hours are from noon to 1 a.m. and Sunday hours are from noon to 11 p.m. Roselawn's hours, however, are 12 p.m. to 2 a.m. every day, with Hillside having no restrictions.

The restrictions within the different dorms vary depending on the class level of the students. Due to the Woods and Northlawn housing mostly first and second year students, the restrictions are greater than those of the juniors and seniors living in Roselawn. Hillside was set up to mainly function as apartment housing. With this in mind, the housing department has imposed no restrictions.

Junior Lisa Berry, who lives in Northlawn, agrees with the privileges Hillside has. Since that dorm houses mainly juniors and seniors, a student's last two years at college would be a perfect time to start learning responsibility and gain independence.

Berry does not like uniformity. She says, "With open hours in place, I have time during the day to get things done. At the same time, we are at the college age when we should be able to start making our own decisions, regardless of what the university believes students can handle."

Although 68 percent of the students interviewed disagree with the open hours in place, 56 percent believe the advantages of having restricted hours outweigh the disadvantages. While open hours are in place, students are able to complete their homework with fewer disruptions. Not only are there more opportunities to spend time with hallmates, there is also the chance to build a sense of community within the hall.

Senior Liz Hagey said, "Some of the greatest times I have had at EMU have been with my hallmates in Maplewood. We stay up late and watch movies, and we are able to bond as a hall."

Sixty percent of the surveyed students say they utilize open hours on a daily basis. During these hours, they are able to work on homework together, socialize, and watch television in groups. After open hours, 38 percent say they simply go some place else that does not have restricted hours. All halls have a downstairs lounge, which has no time restrictions. There are also the computer labs for group projects. And there is the Common Grounds where students can socialize.

To include students that have once lived on campus, nine percent of the surveyed students live off campus. Senior Jared Morgan has lived in three different dorms throughout his college career. Having lived in Oakwood, Roselawn, and Hillside, he has experienced all the different types of restrictions. He says, "When I first lived in a dorm, I had to get used to the whole college life. Having stricter hours, then my third year in Hillside, helped me find the college routine that works for me."

Although Berry, Hagey, and Morgan all agree there are advantages to open hours, reinforcing the perception of the 66 percent who think students are safer because of the restricted hours, 23 percent still believe the hours should be discarded altogether. One reason given for discarding open hours was that at the college level students should be treated like adults, and adults do not have visitation restrictions.

When asked why they thought open hours were established on campus, the students survey were evenly divided on (1) to please parents, (2) to maintain personal privacy, (3) to keep a positive university image, and (4) to help build community among students.

The survey did not ask students for suggested changes to the hours; it only established a range of opinion about the hours. It was conducted prior to fall break in high traffic areas on campus--the cafeteria, at chapel and in the student post office area of the Campus Center.