Res halls to remain open for Iowa State game

The extension gives students time to attend the game.

By David Conway

Published Nov. 13, 2009

Residence halls will remain open until 6 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 21, in an effort to better accommodate residents who wish to attend the football game on the same date.

Although the residence halls were originally set to close the Friday before the game for Thanksgiving break, plans were set to keep them open one more day once officials were made aware of the football schedule, Department of Residential Life Director Frankie Minor said.

"The residence hall contracts indicate that we're closing on Friday, but the problem with that is that we have to print the contract long before the final football schedule and the times are set," Minor said.

Students who are unable to leave the residence halls before they are scheduled to close are allowed to make a request to stay longer through their hall coordinator, Minor said. Those students would be required to leave their residence hall by 9 a.m. Sunday.

"We're asking that they make a request by Tuesday, Nov. 17," Minor said. "We've got to manually enter those students into the exterior door access system to make sure their IDs work past 6 p.m."

The decision to keep the residence halls open was finalized once the game was officially scheduled to begin at 1 p.m., Minor said.

"Because they set a 1 p.m. game time — most games are about three to four hours — that will give students a chance to go to the game and enjoy the game and still pack up and gather their belongings and still get out by 6 p.m.," Minor said.

Although officials were willing to keep residence halls open longer if the game began at a later time, Minor said keeping them open later than 6 p.m. seemed unnecessary after the game time was announced.

"This will allow them time to enjoy the game and get out at a reasonable time," Minor said. "Part of the challenge is our staff can't go home until the students go home."

Sophomore Anatole Figueroa, a resident of Hatch residence hall, said he would not be able to attend the football game because his travel plans were finalized before he could have known residence halls will remain open until Saturday.

"I purchased my plane tickets about a week and a half ago," Figueroa said.

Minor said signs would be posted around residence halls informing residents they will be allowed to stay until Saturday evening.

The game's proximity to Thanksgiving break didn't play a significant factor in deciding its starting time, athletics department spokesman Chad Moller said.

"If we have a game that is not chosen for television, we more often than not go with a 1 p.m. kick," Moller said. "That's just a traditional time that makes sense, it allows our fans from out of town time to get here, and doesn't get them back home too late at night."

Moller said though the time of kickoff wasn't necessarily determined with students about to begin their break in mind, he didn't see any reason why it would pose a problem for those students.

"I don't believe that would make much difference at all in terms of students — they're either going to stay in town for the game or they're not," Moller said. "I do think that a night game in this instance would be less popular with students."