Hannah Schofield – LSBU Student
Students at the LSBU Accommodation are struggling to cope with their mental health due to the overnight guest’s pass being banned for the first few weeks of term.
Students at the LSBU accommodation are struggling to cope with their mental health due to the overnight guest’s pass being banned for the first few weeks of term.
This has created a debate whether Covid 19 regulations are more important than student’s wellbeing as many will be far and wide from family and friends. Students questioned the necessity of these new rules due to mass double vaccination and an easing of Covid 19 regulations in the UK. Students are appalled that they are paying over six thousand pound a year and yet do not receive value for their money.
A Standard En-Suite room at McLaren cost one hundred and sixty-nine pound a week and a Queen En-Suite room cost one hundred and eighty-one pound a week. These figures remain the same even though residents are not receiving the benefits for paying these prices. Queen En-Suite resident Saoirshe Smethurst, said: “McLaren charges more for benefits such as visitation, so logically they should reduce the price for however long they take our benefits away.”
Students feel robbed as they pay to live at McLaren and yet do not have the freedom to have family and friends over until the staff say so.
Covid 19 is the most probable reason for the ban of guests, however Denise (Head of McLaren) stated: “No, it is not Covid related, and the reasons are in an email sent out to residents.” The email sent by McLaren on the 16th of September clearly states, ‘To minimise any increase of self-isolation cases as students continue to arrive in halls.’ This has created confusion in halls as staff claim it is not covid related but their email says otherwise.
Most students feel that this ban is unnecessary and unfair. Guest are allowed in McLaren from 7am to 11pm but not overnight. Possibly the staff believe that Covid does not exist between the hours of 7 and 11. Resident Amelia Homer, said: “It is bad for students’ mental health which I think is more detrimental than a virus were over half the country is double vaccinated and the virus has a ninety nine percent survival rate.”
A second email sent out a day before the guest pass ban was to be lifted, exclaimed that the ban was being extended to the 11th of October. This has only caused more anger and worry for students as it has now been a month without being able to have family members or friends stay over. With Mental health awareness week approaching (9th – 11th October) possibly McLaren will look more into the long-term effects of this ban on their residents and grant their students some time to see loved ones in a safe and comforting environment.