(twincities) (twincities) Hundreds of out-of-town students are expected to descend on Macalester College next month for lectures, workshops, performances and other events related to the four-day Republican National Convention. But they better not pitch tents. Administrators have denied a student group's request to allow an estimated 400 to 500 people from around the country to camp on the school's green or bunk together indoors. The visitors will be allowed to stay in residence halls with individual Macalester students under the rules that apply to any overnight guests, including that they must be gone after three days. Officials say there would be too many health and safety concerns involved with putting up an unknown number of strangers in some large space on campus, not to mention that it comes at a time when the school is trying to welcome new students and launch the academic year. But students organizing the event say the college is falling back on minor, rarely enforced rules and missing a prime opportunity — a huge national political gathering a few miles from campus — to live up to its commitment to civic engagement. "This thing's happening in the college's back yard," said Stefan Aune, a member of Macalester Students for a Democratic Society. "All we're asking for is for them to throw us a bone, sort of bend the rules for six days," said Arella Vargas, another Macalester SDS member. The students point out that the college allows camp-outs by groups highlighting environmental issues, for example, or homelessness. But those groups are smaller and made up of Macalester students, said Jim Hoppe, the college's dean of students. In case of a severe storm or other emergency, they all have a place to go. "Ultimately, our primary responsibility is to provide students a safe place," Hoppe said. "If we have large numbers of people camping outside, it becomes pretty difficult to maintain the safety of those who are here." The students say they are organizing the event, which they're calling a "convergence," to engage fellow SDS members and other anti-war activists from around the country in an educational, nonpartisan, protest-free zone that feeds off the energy of the convention.

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