Students React to New Stood Registration Policy
The new policy drew controversy after The Stood announced via Instagram last week that it would begin requiring registration and wristbands for all Stood events and ending guest access.
By Kaelin Viera
Students expressed their frustration this past week regarding The Stood’s new registration policy, which bans guests and requires pre-registration and wristbands for all events.
“I just don’t see the point in registering and then having to get a whole wristband,” said Luella Otis, a freshman creative writing major. “If it’s Culture Shock or something bigger, I can understand that, but something small? You don’t need that.”
Ahead of Students of Caribbean Ancestry’s Jamrock and Organization for African Peoples in the Americas’ Playboy party this past weekend, students had to pick up a wristband between noon and 4 p.m. the Thursday and Friday prior, where long lines caused some to give up completely.
“Some of us dance until 10 p.m. This is our only time,” said Kayla Incontro, a sophomore dance major whose friends said they spent about half of their lunch break getting wristbands.
Even those who had the time to wait had issues. Frank-Chandler Saunders, a sophomore arts management major, could not get the pre-registration link to work. He had to follow Jessica Bullock, associate director of student engagement and involvement, upstairs to another computer to update his status, along with other students whose names were not showing up in the system even after they registered.
“They’re not letting us get it there [in the PSGA office]. We can’t even show our screenshots because they’re not verifiable,” he said.
The policy is not just interfering with students’ break from class, but the spontaneity of their party life. Some complained that it will not be as easy to exit and re-enter the building due to the 400-person capacity limit, and others wanted to have the choice to show up late or not at all.
“Even if you’re hesitant, you still have to register, and then, if I don’t want to go, I’m taking space away from someone else who does want to go,” said Otis.
When Otis is sure she wants to show up to a party, she says wants to share it with her non-Purchase friends who live nearby, but the new policy prevents that, too.
“I would understand if certain parties had no guests, if they were exclusive, but the entire year, bro?” said Saunders.
Students also anticipated more issues at the parties themselves despite the stricter regulations. Otis said she attended the “Worst Stood Party in America” on Sept. 12, where she claimed issues with email registration led to Stood staff reverting to scanning More cards.
“They weren’t even checking who registered,” she said.
Many students felt the policy was unjustifiably harsh. The Stood’s Instagram, which still
has the guest pass guide pinned to its profile, has amassed nearly 200 comments on its announcement post.
“Mamdani please do something about this,” reads the top comment, among others calling the policy “crazy” and “over policed.”
Even alumni chimed in. Mik Grendze, former general programming coordinator from 2021-2022 and current usher at Madison Square Garden, suggested a secondary, student-run security program to address the problem and combat the “butting of heads.”
“From what I’m hearing, UPD’s trying to control The Stood,” he said.
Whether students blamed the University Police Department, the administration or rowdy students at parties, they seemed to agree that this new policy is not the solution.
“There should’ve been a smarter way to go about [this], even if we have to enforce stricter rules,” said Cairo Williams, a junior dance major. “This is way too out of left field.”
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