Unaccompanied guests in Kinsolving Residence Hall prompt safety concerns among residents
March 2, 2022
Some Kinsolving Residence Hall residents said they are concerned for their safety after unaccompanied male guests have been seen in the bathrooms of the all-female dormitory.
Aaron Voyles, director of residence hall operations for University Housing and Dining, said UHD was notified of the situation last month. Residents were sent an email Feb. 17 that said the bathroom codes in the building’s South Tower, where unaccompanied males were seen, would be changed. Voyles said residents are expected to escort all guests to either the second and a half floor restrooms or the public restrooms on the first floor.
“Each resident is permitted to have one guest at a time, and the guest must be escorted at all times by the resident of the building,” the email said. “Residents who do not accompany their guests are subject to disciplinary action and forfeiture of guest privileges.”
Mechanical engineering sophomore Alyssa Dixon said she worries about the safety of other residents who may be showering when an unescorted male guest enters the bathroom.
“You want to feel safe — when you’re showering, especially — and knowing that people who aren’t supposed to be in there may be in there kind of makes you nervous,” Dixon said. “(Residents) should be conscious of the fact that it’s a communal space and that other people are using it, and that other people may not feel as comfortable with your guy friend as you do.”
Voyles said similar concerns have not been reported in Littlefield, UT’s other all-female residence hall. He said residents are not supposed to share bathroom codes with guests, as it is stated in the residence hall guest policy.
“If (residents) have a concern or they notice a policy violation, they contact our staff so that we can follow up,” Voyles said.
Dixon said both guests and the residents who let them into the community bathrooms should be considered responsible for violating guest policy.
“If something happens, if a girl lets a guy into the bathroom and then he does something in there, both the guy and the person who let them in should probably be held accountable because by letting somebody in you’re possibly putting other people in danger,” Dixon said.
Ashley Schluter, a biology freshman and Kinsolving resident, said she has not seen any male guests in the community bathroom on her floor, and that it is “unrealistic” to expect every resident to escort their male guests to the second and a half floor whenever they need to use the bathroom.
“Since we already have the locking door on the outside, it’s pretty controlled already,” Schluter said.
Sociology sophomore Jennifer Mendoza said she hopes the new bathroom codes will help put an end to the issue.
“It’s great that they changed the codes,” Mendoza said. “If they update them more regularly, that will be better, I feel. That would be a little bit more of a hassle, but maybe it would be a little safer.”
