Student sleepovers: A problem

Mathew Jury, Staff writer

As a Catholic institution, I had always assumed that all students in all living quarters were forbidden from allowing overnight visitors of the opposite sex.

While I could discuss why a Catholic institution should not allow overnight visitors in dormitories, since this is a Catholic school that should enforce sexual teachings as stated by the Magisterium, I will instead discuss why you should not want your boyfriend or girlfriend over for the night.

I have never dated a Mercyhurst woman, so I probably would have trouble relating to this.

However, the second half of my freshman year and most of my sophomore year was a living hell due to dating issues involving my friends.
Two of my friends decided to date each other, one of them a freshman like me.

Although things seemed relatively fine, I could tell the drama was starting to build up with us all living rather closely in the same building.
I began to sense some of our other friends alienating themselves from the couple since they decided to be very close.

I, of course, was very conflicted on the issue. On the one hand, I found their excessive flirting obnoxious. On the other hand, they were my friends and I wanted to keep things cool. It was the beginning of my sophomore year that the metaphorical solid waste hit the fan when they broke up. Upon the breakup, the people in our friendship circles were quick to form “teams” for either side.

Shamefully, I found myself swept up into the tribal mentality. However, I saw that the other friend was being isolated from the rest of our friends.
I decided I would try and keep him company in his time of sorrow, but I soon found myself joining “his tribe.”

I began to avoid the other like Ebola since I did not want her to know that I was hanging with her ex.

She found out very quickly and soon our building became fully embroiled in a nearly endless “Cold War.” It was a major relief late that spring when the two reconciled and restored their friendship.
However, a lot of the scarring was deep and many of our other friends still kept their distance from both of them.

I am thankful things ended relatively well, but you may be wondering why I am telling this tale. What does this have to do with the university policy?
I tell this as a tip for any freshmen readers: Do not date fellow classmates.

When you decide to date this early on, you focus too much on your other and freeze your other friends out, whether you mean it or not.

While there is a biblical reason to ban overnight dates in dormitories, citing the chance for scandal over the fact that they will likely engage in the mortal sin of fornication, I cite another good reason to prohibit boyfriends and girlfriends from overnight visits: Drama. Besides disturbing your roommate, who is likely trying to sleep, getting involved in serious relationships during your early years of college serves only as a source of unnecessary drama.

Save yourself the friend-drama; abide by the guidelines and abstain from having overnight guests in your freshman year.

Be glad these guidelines are there. It would be better for there to be further restrictions regarding co-ed dorms.