My brother has never seen my school and he probably never will because California Lutheran University has a visitation policy known as the 2 a.m. rule. According to the Cal Lutheran Student Handbook 15.2, “Overnight guests of the opposite sex are not permitted in the halls outside of the visitation hours”.  Section 49 of the handbook says, “Students will be found in violation of the Visitation Policy if guests of the opposite gender are visiting in Residence Hall suites between the hours of 2 a.m. and 7 a.m.”

This means if your relationship with the person of the opposite sex is completely platonic, they are still prohibited from being in the room after 2 a.m.

This policy is not only extremely inconvenient but it is also very costly. Imagine being a college student from a different state and wanting to visit your friend or family member at Cal Lutheran. If you were of the opposite sex, you would have to book a hotel, rent a car and/or order an Uber.

Nick Medjo is a junior at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo who has a girlfriend that attends Cal Lutheran said in an email interview,  “My girlfriend is a freshman at Cal Lutheran this year and we aren’t quite sure how this whole situation will work out for us.  The hotels near Cal Lu are pretty expensive for me to pay for every time I want to see her.”

As a Lutheran school, it’s understandable that the University might not want their students to spend the night with members of the opposite sex but there should be an exception. What if there were affordable on campus rooms that could be rented for a weekend?

The rooms could consist of a bed and a bathroom and be more affordable and closer than a hotel.  This building could be built near the new field with minimum accommodations and offer more on campus jobs to students.  It could also help provide job experience for those who are planning to pursue a career in hospitality especially since the school is planning to offer hospitality classes next year.

This rule is outdated and unfair. It either needs to change or there needs to be an alternative option for visitors. It’s time for actions to be taken and for students to be given the freedom to experience their college years fully.

Anne Mukai 
Reporter