With Halloween just around the corner for students at Ohio University, there’s one thing that might be scarier than a sticky fraternity floor: the required $50 guest registration fee for any student living in a residence hall.
OU has been known for its renowned Halloween celebration, drawing in ghosts and ghouls from all across Ohio and further into Athens County for the weekend. However, the university and Athens County seem to be trying to prevent the event from gaining any more traction or attention, especially from visitors who do not attend OU.
One way they are trying to make this possible is through the regulation of guests for students in residence halls, allowing each student only one guest who must be registered beforehand and paid for through a $50 fee.
Ben Lammers, a junior studying computer science, shared his opinion on the regulation he had to abide by during his sophomore year in Bromley Hall. In his experience, the entirety of Halloween seems to be more legend than truth, with relatively tame parties and what can seem like more cops than students on Court Street at times.
“There was a procedure, and I can understand wanting to know who was in the building and stuff like that,” Lammers said, “But I think (the $50 fee) is kind of absurd for letting someone stay in a space that I already paid a lot of money for, for what it is.”
Lammers highlights the main reason behind the guest regulation is safety and aligning with Athens County Police, who have emphasized its goal in fostering a safe and fun environment throughout the weekend for the entire community. But if ensuring the safety of the students of OU is all the faculty is set out to do, then the additional required monetary charge may be working against them.
“I’d say it’s actually more that they’re trying to discourage people from coming, and they put a stupid price on it for people who don’t want to pay something like that,” Lammers said. "Because even if you have the money, I feel, out of principle, it is a little ridiculous.”
Although Lammers suggests the fee very well could be a second deterrent to keep students from bringing guests, he considers the price exorbitant and feels it has done more harm than good. The fee often leads students to circumvent the regulation by sneaking in guests.
Residence halls have increased staffing throughout the weekend, but resident advisers are only required to stay awake until 2:30 a.m. for their final rounds, providing ample time the rest of the night for residents to sneak in unregistered guests.
The looming threat of being caught with an unregistered guest, leading to a $100 fee, acts as another deterrent, but with nobody there to enforce the rules in the middle of the night, there are workarounds for those willing to take the risk.
Lammers said there are plenty of workarounds, recounting some of his peers sneaking in up to three friends, none of them registered or paid for.
It's also worth noting the financial stress placed upon students struggling to pay the fee, especially considering OU's emphasis on being an affordable university, earning the title of the best value public university in the state for the past six years.
Studies have shown the financial situation of college students is less than average, urging for an increase in financial support within education policies. It doesn’t seem fair that while some students can pay the fee and have guests, others are seemingly being punished for their lack of expendable funds. The situation poses a question of fairness and makes me wonder how much revenue OU is getting from students through the fee.
Overall, if the university is truly seeking the safety of its students, then discarding the fee altogether would lead to less students breaking the rules to avoid paying the mandatory charge. Additionally, all students, regardless of their economic status, would be able to enjoy the same liberties and privileges. If OU is going to boast about its affordability, then that mindset should apply to all residents, regardless of the event at hand.
Layla Vinson is a junior studying journalism and English - creative writing at Ohio University. Please note the opinions expressed in this column do not represent those of The Post. Want to talk to Layla Vinson about their column? Email them at lv861322@ohio.edu.
