Totally forbidden. 100% against the rules

The overnight guest policy at Barnard was changed this year.  Sleepover queen Courtney Couillard reports.

Most Barnard girls have experienced the biggest over-exaggerated fiasco of living in the quad—you’re going to the bathroom at 1 am and run into a rare species: a man. But as most girls know, it really is not a big deal, or even a deal at all. While the first year dorms at Barnard are (shockingly!) all female, floormates having guests of the opposite sex is a natural thing that happens. However, the amount of time a student can have a guest has been cracked down this past year and Barnard is taking it seriously.

According the Barnard Res Life website, “in terms of overnight guests, any individual may be hosted as a guest in the Barnard residence halls for no more than three consecutive nights and no more than six nights total in any 30-day period.”

So apparently you can’t have your boyfriend or non-Barnard girlfriend come over more than six nights per month, but it’s totally chill if you bring someone different home each night.

And it isn’t just the three consecutive night policy. Columbia’s Res Life states “overnight stays for one guest are limited to five days in any consecutive 30 day period. An overnight stay is defined as any stay within the hours of 11:00pm and 8:00am.” That means  if you have a guest who comes up the room at 11pm and leaves at 12am, you have lost a guest privilege for the month.

Columbia’s guest policy has never been strictly enforced, but Barnard seems to be really into the idea of cracking the whip. It’s unclear how accurate the system can be as it is not run through a computer database, or if attendants will care, but at a smaller school it’s much easier for the attendants to keep track.

However, it’s the principle that the rules have been enacted that questions whether or not we can wear our big girl panties and make our own decisions. I see what the colleges are getting at. You don’t want to have some bum hopping room to room on a floor and scheming a free place to live on Barnard campus. But since the colleges are comprised of adults, it seems only sensible we have the option to proctor when we have guests and how often we want to.

College is about “doing your thang.” Some students will never have a guest in the dorm room while some may be having an abundance of “sleepovers.” Now, however, Barnard girls will have to schedule accordingly.

Young delinquents via Shutterstock