By Omer Sanchez
With Thanksgiving approaching soon there may be some students who can’t go home. If that’s the case then it is possible to request a Break Access HFS contract, which allows students to stay during break. A student could go to the Housing and Food Services office which is located in Port Sky Cafe and make a request for one. The request can only be done at the office and cannot be done online.
But who are allowed to stay and what are the requirements to stay? According to Residence Life Director Maria Mosley of Penn State Altoona, any student can stay during break regardless of reason as long as the student pays a certain fee. So this means that this offer isn’t just offered to international students.
When asking which buildings are open during break for students, Director Mosley said,
“This will depend on what students we have who have paid to stay and where they live. For right now, we know that Cedar and Spruce will be open.”
Director of Housing and Food Services Erin E. McConnell of Penn State Altoona was asked about the fee and said,
“The cost to stay over Fall Break is $176.00 for housing. We are not offering food service during this week. However the community kitchen will be available for the students to use.”
The community kitchen is in Cedar Hall and inside there are ovens, refrigerators, stoves and microwaves. The community kitchen will be accessible to all the students staying on campus.
The Steven A. Adler Athletic Complex building will be open on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Adler will also be open Sunday Nov. 25 from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The Robert E. Liche Library will be open Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The library will be closed Thursday Nov. 22 all the way through Sunday Nov. 25.
Director McConnell says the cost is non-refundable even if a student only stays only a portion of the break and all students planning on staying during break most submit their request Friday, Nov. 9. The contract must be submitted during office hours with is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Port Sky Cafe will be closed during break but the housing office will be open on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday. If students receive any mail or any packages then it will still be possible to pick them up.
During break University Police are still operating 24 hours a day and will respond to any incidents that happens on campus.
Despite students staying during break, residence halls policies will still take effect. This means no drinking in the residence halls regardless of age and no overnight guests.