It’s Saturday morning in Death Valley. You just hit the dining hall to grab breakfast before you get ready for game day. You juggle everything you’re carrying, pull out your Tiger Card and swipe the reader at the door closest to your dorm room, but instead of unlocking it you’re greeted with a red light and a rapid beeping noise. After a couple more attempts, you see it’s no use and head to the main entrance. 

All university residential halls change to a single point of entry for students on game days. LSU Residential Life increases the amount of resident assistant staff on duty in addition to this measure, but some residents say they don’t understand the reasoning for the policy because every entrance requires a resident’s Tiger Card to open anyway. 

Director of Residential Life and Education Bill Mattera said the university began using the single entrance model for the last five years after they put together a group to examine game day policies from similar universities, and said the single entrance protocol is in place across several of LSU’s peer schools. 

“The policy is in place to ensure that only residents of the community are entering the buildings and using the spaces as designed,” Mattera said. “Residence halls are students’ homes, and they aren’t for friends, families or off-campus visitors.”

He said the duration of the single-entrance policy varies on each game day, depending on the kick off time, the Tigers’ opponent and how much traffic is expected on campus. Mattera added that ResLife does not receive much student feedback regarding their game day security policies.

Business freshman J.R. Brandon said the single-entrance model can be very frustrating for students, especially the first time it happens or if they’re in a rush and don’t remember the policy is in place until they’re swiping their card. 

“I didn’t understand why this would even be considered a security measure,” Brandon said. “It’s not like I’m getting a flat tire or anything, but it is frustrating.”

Biochemistry freshman Aidan O’Neal understands that the policy is a security measure but doesn’t see how it offers any extra protection to students.

“I honestly don’t understand how this would make me feel safer,” O’Neal said. “You still need a card to get into the side doors regardless.”

He added that it was a minor inconvenience more than anything but believes residential life should be more clear as to why this policy is in place. He thinks restricting entry to a single point is irrelevant because only a Tiger Card programmed to a specific residence hall will allow anyone entrance to the building, no matter which entrance they use.

Architecture freshman Jorden Robinson agrees that students having a Tiger Card and potentially a hard key as well precludes the need for more security, and having a single entrance simply makes it take longer for people who live in the building to get inside.

“I had groceries dropped off one day in the back of Cypress and had to lug them all the way to the front of the building just to get in,” Robinson said. “I see no need for this precaution.”