As the semester ends Friday, Westminster College students are faced with the choice to either continue living on campus through winter break or returning home to their families. Campus housing gives residential students the option to extend their residency through the winter break.
However, this is easier said than done for some students.
While those who live in campus-owned houses can come and go without key card restrictions, students living in residence halls must fill out an extension form to be permitted inside dorm buildings. This process is required for students living in apartment style or single/traditional style housing.
Students living in traditional/single style and apartment style housing must fill out an extension of residency by a certain date in order to be allowed to stay in their current residence for the duration of winter break. This process is required since this type of housing has a key card entrance into each building.
Campus housing must grant access to certain cards in order for students in order to come and go from their campus apartments/traditional living.
Students who aren’t staying on campus
For students who are not living on campus over the break, each are assigned a specific date and time when they must vacate their campus housing. This gives students enough time to get what they need from their dorm and clean their space before completing winter break check-out and leaving for over a month.
These students who do not complete the extension form are unable to return to campus until the beginning of Spring semester.
Students who are staying on campus
Students who are staying on campus have a similar procedure. Students who decide to remain on campus need to complete a house cleaning check-off with their residential adviser. After the RA checks off their house/apartment, they do not have to leave and are able to come and go as they please through the entire winter break.
Joey Figini, a junior environmental studies major, said he will be staying in his apartment in Westminster on The Draw through the entire break because his family lives out of state.
“All my family and friends are out of state,” Figini said. “With COVID-19 and the travel restrictions I just decided it would be best if I stayed in the state for the break. I also just got a new job here in Utah and get paid overtime to work on holidays so that’s what I will be doing.”
Figini said he is unsure if his roommates will be staying, but either way, he plans on working and relaxing the entire break.
Figini said it will be a great opportunity to relax and focus on himself since all he’s been focusing on lately is school and overworking himself.
Family missing their students
Grace Figini, Joey’s younger sister, said she is disappointed her older brother won’t be joining them for the holidays this year. However, she said she understands he is busy with a new job and also the stress of traveling during a pandemic.
“My whole family is going to miss him this Christmas and New Year, but we all understand with his new job he wouldn’t be able to take the time off,” Grace Figini said. “I am just glad that the college is allowing him to continue to stay in his housing over the break or else he’d be without a place to stay.”
Although Joey’s family will miss him over the holiday season, they said they understand the risks of traveling during the pandemic.
