By Chris Collins and Elascha Davila-Hicks

Pierce Hall residents were placed on lockdown Oct. 24 after some residents were caught sneaking girls into the dorm after hours.

They were captured on videotape propping doors open so that the females could bypass the curfew rule. As punishment, housing administrators banned all residents from having guests or visiting Killingsworth and McCullough Halls for two days.

The lockdown ended after residents fessed up to the violation.

Wayne Schields, housing and residence life assistant director, initiated the lockdown after being told by an RA that girls were being snuck in by residents.

He posted a flyer in the dorm informing residents that they were currently banned from having visitors, among other restrictions.

In situations like this, Schields said he always waits for the offenders to talk to him after being caught breaking the rules.

“When they come and talk to me the lockdown ends,” he said. “I want them to man up. I’ll trust their word if they say they won’t do it again.”

If he catches someone in the act of sneaking people into the dorm, Schields talks to both the resident and the visitor.

“I tell the girls, ‘Don’t be known as the girl snaking out of the back door at 6 a.m.,’” Schields said.

A lockdown usually lasts a maximum of three days. Pierce is right on schedule, too – there’s usually at least one lockdown every year.

Some Pierce and Killngsworth residents were upset about the punitive measures, they said.

Courtney Evans, a resident in Killngsworth, dates a resident of Pierce Hall. She complained that the lockdown kept her from seeing her boyfriend as often as she would have liked to.

“I think the rule of a curfew is fine, but I think how it affects others who didn’t do it isn’t fair,” Evans said. “I get how they are trying to enforce the rules and keep things as safe as possible, but come on.”

“It’s a joke!” said a Pierce resident, who wished to remain anonymous. “This is college. What do they expect? And why does it matter if we have girls over? There shouldn’t be a curfew anyway.”

Schields said another reason he has zero tolerance for trespassing in the dorm is because he lives there with his family. Someone walking in off the street could put his family at risk.

“We are trying to keep everyone safe, build a community and set standards,” he said.