As the new school year drew closer and students began the long family goodbyes which signal the impending date of move-in day, many were angrily dismayed to find E-mails in their St. John’s University accounts entitled “On-Campus Visitation Policy for Queens Residents.”

The contents of this E-mail, laying out even stricter rules than in the past, shocked and angered students.

The guest policy has evolved every year since the Residence Village was constructed, and this year was no exception.

Jose Rodriguez, interim head of Residence Life, constructed these rules in the best interest of the resident students of St. John’s.

It is very easy for residents to misconstrue Rodriguez as the bad guy, but ultimately, it is everyone’s responsibility to handle these issues. Rodriguez wishes “that this was not an issue” and wants people to take their “role as a student responsibly and follow the rules.”

There are still innumerable infractions. As more students find themselves forced to try and sneak people in, safety and quality of life diminish in the Residence Village.

Residents have not stopped signing in unfamiliar people as favors to them when approached in the residence hall lobbies. Students are paying $11,000 a year to live on a campus on outright lockdown.

One of the most contested rules states that all St. John’s University students must obtain a guest pass to stay overnight. This is not a matter of safety anymore; it has become a matter of inconvenience.

Many students will or already have planned to have study groups or work on school projects that sometimes last past midnight. This is virtually impossible with the current residence policies.

Rodriguez contends that if students came up with reasonable solutions, he would be there to listen. However, the students here have never even been given the chance to prove that they are responsible.

As with all problems on campus, students must ultimately either help subside the problem or come up with a solution.