Exploring door-holding culture at St. Joe’s

On a recent Friday afternoon on campus, one student opened the Francis A. Drexel Library door to pass through on his way to class. He turned back for a second to check if anyone else was coming. It’s this type of act that demonstrates the door-holding practice of students on Hawk Hill.

At St. Joe’s, there’s an unspoken rule by all those who walk though campus: always hold the door. Sure, it’s basic courtesy not to let the door shut on someone, but observing the ways of St. Joe’s students shows this is more than an act of courtesy—it’s an unwritten social code.

Isis Green ’21 works at the circulatory desk in the library. Her station sits between some of the most notorious doors on campus—the massive, heavy set of glass double doors that cut through the heart of campus.

She witnesses students holding the door for each other on a daily basis and says she always holds the door.

“I think it’s something that’s ingrained in the culture,” Green said. “It’s something that you are taught to do just for politeness, just so you don’t slam the door in someone else’s face.”

Most people are perfectly capable of opening a door on their own. But, besides just being courteous, perhaps it’s a way of saying, “Hey, I got you” to the stranger, friend or fellow classmate who walks behind.

Observing the door-holding tradition outside the library, it’s clear some students go above and beyond what’s expected.

One student holds the door for another coming their way. Maybe the hold was a little premature as the other student is still at least 25 feet out. She shuffles a little faster. “Thank you so much,” she says as she catches the glass.

Another student steps out of the way and holds the door open on the outside to let another pass by. Quickly a few more rush through. He’s become the impromptu doorman as a stream of people pass through. Soon though, another honorable individual, with strong arms and a few seconds to spare before the next class, takes over and grabs the door.

Christian Rocco ’22 has only been on campus for three months and says he’s noticed people going above the call of duty to hold the door—standing in the rain to let others inside, for example.

“I’ve definitely noticed that people are holding doors here more than anywhere else I’ve been,” Rocco said.

Rocco boils it down to what he thinks is really at the heart of door-holding here: “It’s really just having manners,” he said. “I think people genuinely want to. People are definitely more polite here.”

On a recent Friday afternoon, of the 260 people who passed through the library during the period between classes, 10 did not hold the door for someone behind them. 145 did, while the remaining passed through on their own.

According to Daniel Joyce, S.J., at St. Joe’s, it’s not just about door-holding. He said students often talk about the higher degree of hospitality on campus.

“I know students who are here now because when they visited campus, some student went out of their way to ask them if they needed help or directions,” Joyce said. “This stands out in contrast to Philadelphia where this is not the custom.” 

While it may be how they were raised, it may also be that St. Joe’s students learned quickly to uphold the precedent of door-holding on campus.

Many label St. Joe’s a basketball school, and it’s definitely a Jesuit school, but St. Joe’s is also a door-holding school.