Student ID cards, wristbands required for some residents

Residents can expect increased security tomorrow night as thousands of overnight visitors are expected in the residence halls, campus security manager Brian Hellwig said.

The most notable difference will be in Tri-Towers where students must enter and exit each building through one doorway; students will be asked for identification when entering.

A visitation policy of just two guests per resident will take effect, and visitors will be required to wear wristbands. The wristbands, Hellwig said, allow residence hall staff and security to “identify who lives in the hall and who doesn’t.”

Halloween weekend has become infamous for vandalism, alcohol issues and noise violations, Hellwig said. To help handle the influx of visitors, security will employ additional staff and the number of resident assistants on duty will double compared to a normal Saturday.

“It’s by far the busiest night of the year,” Hellwig said.

The level of additional measures in a residence hall is determined mostly by the number of students residing there, as well as the hall’s student composition, said Amy Quillin, associate director of residence services.

“(Tri-Towers) is the complex that has the greatest volume of students — so they do take extra measures,” Quillin said.

Visitors in some halls will not have to wear wristbands, which is likely the case in Centennial Courts C and D, due to its mostly upperclassmen population. But increased staffing and rounds by those on duty will proceed, Quillin said.

Hellwig expects to have 20 security aides working tomorrow night.

If perchance the aides are over-extended, Officer Alice Ickes of Kent State Police Services said students may be surprised to see police show up if they call campus security.

“We’ll be working closely with security,” Ickes said. “The biggest thing is to keep a safe environment.”

Hellwig advises students to have fun, but to be responsible.

Contact safety reporter Steve Bushong at [email protected].