By Marietta (Mary Beth) Barrett
Northwest University has recently changed the Guy-Perks-Crowder (GPC) residence halls visitation hours. While the previous hours used to be daily from 7-10 p.m., now residents can enjoy extra visitation time over the weekends. Extended visitation hours on Saturday and Sunday will shift to include visitation from 2-10 p.m. Now, GPC residence halls boast the same visitation times as Gray-Beatty halls.
Holly Hollopeter, the Area Coordinator of GPC, shares that ASNU Representative Hadley Collins “approached (her) with a need” for greater visitation. Campus has seen an increase in human estrangement and a decrease in campus visitation and events, due to COVID-19. So, an increase in visitation was a way to alleviate some of the feelings of isolation on campus.
Hollopeter asserts that NU leadership is “trying to adapt where needed.” In this instance, some adaptability of visitation was needed; however, this change is only temporary. Visitation hours will likely return to normal in the fall, Hollopeter states. This is due to the underclassmen being relocated to GPC next year. That is their typical residence, but the hustle and bustle of COVID-college made that difficult this year. Right now, underclassmen are sprinkled throughout GPC and Gray-Beatty.
Visitation hours are typically dependent upon the location of underclassmen and upperclassmen, which normally creates different visitation hours between GPC and Gray-Beatty. Visitation is like a step ladder, with underclassmen receiving the shorter visitation hours and upperclassmen getting the longer ones, Hollopeter states.
The improvement in visitation can be credited not only to Hollopeter and Collins, but also to the students who voiced their desire for more visitation. Hollopeter insists that all students should go to their ASNU representatives if they ever perceive a need in the NU community.
