Sit-Ins for Safe Sleepovers

Date: 3/30/2010 12:36 pm

Students gathered in dorms across the West Virginia University campus last week to protest the school's overnight visitation policy.

The Residence Hall Association sponsored the night sit-in March 24. Members of the organization said they aimed to point out the safety and social inequalities of the current policy, and passed out fliers stating that adults should be allowed the responsibility of having guests of any gender overnight with the roommate's consent.

Most dorms averaged a turnout of around five to 10 students, but nearly 30 students gathered in the lobby of Honors Hall.

Freshman Stacy Tritt said she joined the sit-in because she knows people who want to have overnight guests of the opposite gender, including family members. She also mentioned that the current policy has affected her personally.

"One time a friend of mine from back home came to Morgantown for an event," she said. "He ended up having to drive home in the middle of the night. That's not a safe situation."

Tritt added that with a relaxed overnight visitation policy, her friend could have stayed in her dorm.

In 2008, a survey aimed at collecting students' opinions of the current policy was conducted. Nearly 95 percent of those polled said they would support a changed policy, said Kacie Kidd, the downtown president of the Residential Assistant Council.

Student Government Association Gov. Ryan Campione said that more than 500 students signed a petition supporting a modified overnight visitation policy.

"Our main objective was to bring awareness to the issue, and we've definitely done this by the amount of press and students talking about it," he said.