Opinion: Liberty’s New open dorms policy is more convenient for students

A new rule implemented recently  by the university will be certain to please many students.

Wednesday, Feb. 12, marked a special day for Liberty dorm residents, as the signature of President Falwell allowed the young men and women who live on campus to visit one another’s dorms on a monthly basis. This marks a significant upgrade from the previous restriction of visits to only once a semester. 

The new rule has mostly been met with high praise from the students, and rightfully so, as it opens the door for so many new possibilities for the brother and sister dorms to spend quality time together. While some might argue that Liberty is becoming too flexible for a Christian school (like when Liberty lifted the ban of R-rated movies and M-rated video games), this new rule will ultimately not be detrimental to either the school or its students.

This new rule opens the door to benefits not previously possible, such as cost-efficient activities, mental health improvement and a better environment for fellowship.

For starters, the new policy provides the brother and sister dorms a cost-free place for those who like to get togethers once a month. For example, if students go to nearby Regal Cinemas once a month, each student will each have to pay around $10-12 for their ticket (and that’s without snacks). On the other hand, if one of those students already has a standard Netflix subscription, the new rule allows the students to gather together in one of their dorms to enjoy a movie for far less than what they were previously spending.

Additionally, monthly visits to each other’s dorms have the potential to decrease loneliness among students. The American College Health Association had discovered through a survey of close to 48,000 that a majority of both men and women in college (54% and 67% respectively) had felt lonely over the past year. With students now being able to visit each other’s dorms on a monthly basis, this now allows the two dorms another opportunity to spend quality time together and helping lonely students get to know their peers more.

Lastly, the expansion of how often the boys and girls are allowed to visit each other’s dorms serves as welcome news for dorms that do not have a commons room. While common areas provide an excellent environment for students to spend time together, dorms like the Circle or the South Tower have no commons area at all. The new monthly open dorms, however, will help the brother and sister dorms to make up for the lack of such a space.

With brother and sister dorms now being able to have open dorms on a monthly basis, Liberty and Jerry Falwell Jr. have made a wonderful decision on the students’ behalf. Even though there are some concerns regarding the expansion, the benefits to this decision ultimately outweigh the potential consequences. 

Notheis is an opinion writer. Follow him on Twitter.