According to students who use the animation production spaces in West Penn Hall, some housekeeping employees with Velociti are routinely asking students to leave the animation labs and not to return if they’re found working in the lab after hours.
West Penn Hall holds editing suites for cinema students, the Rowland School of Business, the Center for Media Innovation and various classrooms. After midnight, nobody can get into the building except for housekeeping employees and Point Park police.
Kyle Ritchey, a senior animation student, says he and other animation students typically would spend late nights in the second floor animation labs all getting work done, because that is the only time they can all get together to animate.
And sometimes, Ritchey said those days in the animation labs can spread well into around 5 a.m. This is when he and his friends might be met by a housekeeping employee who notices them in the lab working and tells them to leave.
Ritchey said this has not been an issue until this year. Before that, he would be able to stay in the building long past it closed as long as he got in before the doors automatically lock for the night.
Though, he says he recognizes this may have been some time coming.
According to Ritchey, not only are the front doors locked after midnight, but the animation labs require ID to get in and will lock at 2 a.m. This requires someone to prop the door open with an object — usually a trash can from the same lab is the item of choice.
Point Park Chief of Police Jeffrey Besong said he was unaware of any policy change to start removing students from West Penn Hall after hours.
One student, who did not want to be identified, said they were going to a Character Animation and Analysis I class, got to West Penn Hall early and was told to leave by a housekeeping employee. The class they were waiting for did not start until 8 a.m., but they arrived at the building at 6 a.m.
A representative from Velociti was not able to comment, though some employees who regularly work at Point Park said they have never been given any directive to ask students to leave anywhere they’re cleaning and doesn’t know why a housekeeping employee would do so.
Other students said their experiences with housekeeping have been pleasant and they have never been asked to leave the animation lab or any space on campus.
Lou Corsaro, public relations director, said Velociti told him housekeeping employees typically do not enter West Penn Hall until 5 a.m. and may need access to a space while students are in it. However, he said they would never ask a student to leave a classroom or lab and have not been given direction by the university to change this policy.
Keith Paylo, vice president of student affairs, said he was not aware of the issue.
The animation rooms are not the only spaces in West Penn Hall which are not open all day long. The CMI, which is on the right side after walking into the building, typically closes around 5 p.m.
Every other building with classrooms, besides the University Center and Playhouse, never closes for students and can be accessed by students 24/7.
