Random Hall eschews Family Weekend security policies
Random Hall eschews Family Weekend security policies
Random Hall will not be compelled to comply with the DSL’s dorm security policy for Family Weekend — parents will not be granted automatic access to the building.
DSL’s policy, which will still be in place elsewhere, allows any registered family member to access any undergraduate dorm at any time throughout the weekend.
“All families who have Family Weekend name badges only need to present their name badge and government-issued ID to the desk attendant for verification when entering any undergraduate residence hall,” according to an email from the department of Residential Life and Dining.
The DSL sought dorm feedback on that policy, which allowed family members to enter dorms without being signed in from 8 a.m. on Oct. 23 to 11 p.m. Oct. 25 but required students to follow the normal procedure.
Last year’s Family Weekend security policies frustrated students across several MIT dorms, including Random Hall and East Campus. Despite the concerns raised last year, this year’s proposed policy was identical.
Students from Random took issue with the policy, particularly because it allowed parents of non-residents to enter the building. “This is a private residence, not a tourist attraction,” one student wrote in an email thread.
As a result of these complaints, RLAD Michael Barcelo convinced DSL to change the policy.
“Random’s security policy/guest list policy will not change for Parents Weekend,” Barcelo said in an email to the dorm. “If students want to allow their parents to access the building, they can either put them on their respective guest list or directly escort and sign them in to the building.”
“I brought the voiced concerns of Random regarding parents weekend to Dean Humphreys yesterday and let him know that what was proposed would not work for community,” Barcelo said.
—Katherine Nazemi