During the seven days of celebration for seniors between their final exams and graduation, known as Senior Week, all graduating seniors in the housing system will be allowed to stay on campus. But some may not be happy about where they get to stay.

According to Argyle Wade, associate director of Residence Life, Marchetti East will be closing completely.

After finals, seniors in that building will have to box up all of their things, though they will not have to move them out until after graduation. They will have to pack up and take with them the things they need for the week because Marchetti East will be locked during the week.

Those seniors will be offered the choice to move to either Marchetti West or the Village Apartments. On-campus seniors will be mailed sign-up information shortly after Easter break. Residence Life intends to work with the residents of Marchetti East, so that they can be close to their friends during the week.

Wade says that this plan, which comes from a desire to be supportive of graduating seniors during their last week of fun together on campus and the need to begin construction projects, is not much different than housing arrangements for Senior Week in past years.

Only one of the Marchetti towers will remain open because of the challenge and cost of staffing a 24-hour security desk for the entire week and a need to be “sensitive to renovations.” There will be no charge for the housing during the week, and no graduating seniors in the Village apartments will be displaced.

Two floors in both of the Marchetti Towers will have to be completely evacuated.

Seniors on those floors will have to move all of their things out so that the installation of the sprinkler systems, part of the SLU2000 project, can begin.

“This is a huge, time-consuming project that needs to get going right away,” Wade said.

Residence Life has not yet determined which floors will be cleared completely. The department plans to conduct a survey to find out how many seniors plan on staying on campus during the week.

Those floors that have the least number of seniors staying will most likely be the ones that are cleared. Residence Life will provide those seniors with staff to help them move their things.

“We are trying to minimize the effect on the seniors on those floors so that they can have as much fun during senior week,” Wade said.

All seniors, regardless of where they are staying, will have to check out from their apartments the day after graduation.