The Office of Residence Life reinstated the guest policy after a year and a half with no guests allowed in residence halls. Students living in campus housing are now allowed to sign in up to two other St. Joe’s
students into their dorms and apartments with the renewed guest policy.

According to Jessica Moran-Buckridge Ed.D., director of residence life, the policy was reinstated because all residential students had completed their vaccination or exemption forms and there was at least a 90% vaccination rate on campus by Sept. 7. The Office of Residence Life also frequently surveyed the number of covid-19 cases during the first two weeks of classes which provided the opportunity to reevaluate their decision.

“Responsible use of guest privileges is a great opportunity for students to build relationships with other SJU students outside of their primary residence,” Moran-Buckridge wrote in an email to The Hawk. “We always try to assess both benefits and risks in making decisions that impact our students. In the end, we believe our students will do the right thing to help keep our residential community as healthy as possible.”

Drew Dachowski ’24, who is living in Ashwood Apartments said he was pleased about the new policy that would allow him to have guests.

“Hanging out with more people makes me feel better, just because you’re making more relationships and making stronger connections,” Dachowski said. “I feel like the more people we talk to, it just makes your mind more calm and you have more people there to listen to whatever you want to say and it’s nice.”

Emily Evina ’24, who lives in Lannon Hall, said she is already noticing a difference in social life compared to her first year when guests were not permitted in residences because of covid-19 safety protocols.

“I’m really excited because I think that it definitely changes the experience,” Evina said. “I kind of feel like I’m reliving [my] freshman year just because this school has been so different. I get it was not St. Joe’s fault, it’s just how things happen. I think this will definitely change my social life.”

While most responses to the new guest policy have been predominantly positive from residential students, covid-19 is still a concern for some. Lauren Baundo ’25 said she simply wants people to stay safe.

“Just as long as everyone’s safe and following what has to be done and what was in place by the university,” Baundo said. “Just as long as we don’t get a rise in covid cases and have to do anything virtually.”

According to the university’s covid-19 dashboard as of Oct. 4, there were 31 cases recorded for residential students. The dashboard indicated that there were 87 cumulative cases, of which 78 were cleared.

Moran-Buckridge and Kelly Bersett, the associate director of housing and operations, said increased interaction among students could put the community at risk for an increase in covid-19 transmission, particularly in small spaces like residence hall rooms.

“We always try to assess both benefits and risks in making decisions that impact our students,” Moran-Buckridge and Bersett wrote. “In the end, we believe our students will do the right thing to help keep our residential community as healthy as possible.”

According to an email sent to on-cam-pus residents on Sept. 3 from the Office of Residence Life, it was made clear that the guest policy privilege may be modified or discontinued in order to protect the health of the St. Joe’s community.

For the time being, students, like Evina, are pleased with the new opportunities the guest policy establishes, both socially and academically.

“It has already started to change the social dynamic and even the academic dy-
namic,” Evina said. “Because if you’re doing a project with someone you don’t have to go find somewhere to go, you have them over”

Dachowski said during his first year on campus in 2020, he and members of his class felt isolated and were anxious to meet people.

“We couldn’t hang out as much, but now we’re always in each other’s buildings and each other’s rooms hanging out,” Dachowski said. “It gives us more opportunity to meet new people and to bring groups of
friends together.”