As Halloween weekend approaches, Ohio University is reaffirming the policies it used on campus last year , despite last spring's recommendations of a Halloween committee.

Regulations basically are identical to the ones implemented by the university last year, said Mike Sostarich, interim vice president for student affairs. OU asked students and guests to wear wristbands to get into residence halls, limited each student in residence halls to have one guest and designated the fairgrounds as guest parking.

Last fall, Student Senate formed a Special Committee on Halloween, which included senators, Residence Life staff members and interested students. They examined the university's Halloween policies and recommended several changes for this year.

But none of the suggested changes were implemented by the university this year, said Kristen Flanagan, South Green senator and a member of last year's committee.

She said students deserved more Halloween freedom after last year's success.

"It's really disappointing that after the positive Halloween experience of last year, the university isn't trusting students to go farther this year," she said. "You can't avoid problems entirely."

Administrators say last year's restrictions improved safety and should be kept.

"Our goal was to preserve safety on campus and begin diminishing the size of the crowd," Sostarich said. "Both were accomplished last year."

Despite that success, the committee recommended the university should allow students to have two guests, which is the number of guests allowed by university policy.

Junior Jim Hintz, chair of the Halloween committee last year, said keeping a closer watch on who comes and goes from residence halls was more effective than limiting the number of students' guests.

But Ken Brown, residence life senator, said the policy helped prevent fire hazards.

The committee also wanted an alternative identification method to the wristbands students and their guests were asked to wear. Committee members suggested ultra-violet stamps instead, Hintz said.

"The university made residence halls more like a prison and less like a home," he said.

Residents choosing not to wear wristbands still can show their OU identification cards and check in with staff members if they wish to enter their own building. If they want to enter another residence hall, they must wear a wristband, Sostarich said.

"We did investigate using stamps and black lights," he said. "But we don't have the necessary equipment."

Junior Alisa Boles, a Resident Assistant last year and in Washington Hall this year, said the wristbands were demeaning to students.

"I don't like the idea of scaring students out of residence halls on Halloween weekend," Boles said. "If the residents don't want to follow the policies, they have to wander around in an unsafe atmosphere."

The committee also advised OU to better advertise parking availability at the fairgrounds and include directions.

Sostarich said in addition to parking and a shuttle service at the fairgrounds, many private lots offer guest parking. Campus parking lots again will be open only to vehicles with Halloween weekend parking permits.

The university did follow one of the committee's suggestions by explaining Halloween policies to first-year students during pre-college sessions, Sostarich said.

Residence Life will send letters to students informing them of the university's guest policy on Halloween weekend.