OU officials hope to maintain safety

by Annie Pitstick
For The Post

As revelers pour into Athens for Halloween weekend, Ohio University officials are enforcing safety procedures for visitors to campus residence halls.

Guests had to be registered by Oct. 29, OU spokesman Jack Jeffery said. Each resident is allowed one guest.

Throughout the weekend, guests and hosts have to wear wristbands distinctive to the hall they are staying in, he said. Guests will not be allowed in without a wristband and proper identification.

OU students can show their student identification cards instead of wearing a wristband.

This is the third year that guest policies, such as wristbands, have been in place, said Joe Burke, OU director of Residence Life.

About 4,540 people are registered to visit the residence halls this weekend, Burke said. Last year, 4, 058 guests registered.

"But not everyone will show up. Last year, there was a no-show rate of 30 percent," Burke said. "The increase in visitors is due to the biggest freshman class to be at OU in 30 years. Plus we added Bromley Hall this year, so that makes 41 residence halls in total to have guests."

Open parking will not be available on campus this weekend, said Lt. Travis Potts of the OU Police Department. Students must display their parking permits or have a student registration sticker. Any car that does not will be towed at the owner's expense.

"Parking for visitors will be available at the fairgrounds from 3 p.m. Friday until about noon on Sunday," Jeffery said.

Campus security will be increased as well.

"Eighty-five people will be out each night to keep the campus safe. This includes all of the (Residence Life) and security aides. The door watchers are brought in and they are paid separately," Burke said.

The university is spending $90,000 to protect the campus this weekend, Jeffery said.

Many resident assistants said they do not mind staying in on Halloween weekend.

"I have seen Halloween here before; it doesn't change much," said Andrea Tuttle, an OU senior and Bush Hall RA. "A work schedule is made by our resident directors so that we all get to go out for a little bit."

Some OU students said the guest registration policies can be a burden.

"I deem it totally unnecessary, but I understand, so I silently and ungraciously accept this needless, arbitrary and pointless hassle," OU sophomore Craig Saarie said.