In the never-ending quest to keep students safe in residence halls and keep trouble-makers out, MSU officials are considering a change in how students are checked in after midnight.

A new policy would require night receptionists to take residents' guests' ID cards, which could then be reclaimed when they leave the hall.

Currently, guests must sign their names, but don't have to leave their IDs.

University officials think residence hall guests who know their ID cards are being held will be less likely to do something illegal, knowing they will have to pick up their ID before they leave.

The plan is being put on hold until the university consults with students and the Residence Halls Association, or RHA, about the policy.

RHA will also form a committee to look at the issue.

The university is rightfully talking to students to get their opinions; students should be consulted on something that directly affects them.

The university's goal — making visitors more accountable for their actions in the dorms — is a good one.

But what is wrong with the current system in the residence halls? It seems to be working just fine — night receptionists take down student and guest information without much trouble.

And MSU officials should realize that when faced with more hurdles of getting inside a dorm, students and visitors will just work around those restrictions.

Students don't want to go through the hassle of handing over their IDs.

There's always the chance a hurried night receptionist could lose someone's ID, meaning it would have to be replaced — a time-consuming and expensive ordeal.

Students who don't want to hand over their ID cards could walk around to a locked side door and ask the person they are visiting to let them in.

Or the potential troublemaking guests could just pound on a side door until someone lets them in.

That means more unaccounted people in dorms, not more safety.

There have to be better ways of keeping track of visitors in dorms.

An alternative would be have more night receptionists stationed near the heavily used side doors, so students know there's always the chance they could get caught sneaking in the back way.

Taking an ID card is not going to make the dorms any safer and is an invasion of student privacy. Dorms are public buildings and guests shouldn't have to hand over their IDs every time they want to visit a friend.

RHA should look into the matter carefully and work with university officials to come up with a better solution.

This one needs some work.