I doubt there are many students who are opposed to increasing security around campus. I am relieved that the administration has finally taken substantial measures to create security procedures and install security guards for all dormitories. However, by installing turnstiles and security pavilions, the administration has made upperclassmen feel disconnected from, and less welcome around, the dorms.
Any student living off-campus must surrender a form of I.D. at the AMR II security gate to gain access to the building. If the student plans to use his J-Card inside, he must leave another form of I.D., such as a driver's license.
It should not be necessary to carry two forms of I.D. just to order a cheese quesadilla or restock on Cup of Soup noodles at Megabytes.
The process of entering the multipurpose room or the reading room in AMR I can be even more difficult. These two venues, commonly used for a variety of student group meetings or lectures, can now only be entered if someone has an access card.
During Orientation week, I planned several events in those rooms but was denied access to them, although I had reserved them months ahead of time and was the coordinator of the events. After much deliberation and the need to contact several supervisors, I was finally granted entry to the rooms, but only after a sophomore fellow staffer let me in with her access card.
In addition to taking my I.D., the guard needed to record my name, residence, time of entrance and departure. Given that I am clearly a student, these facts are largely irrelevant. Recording this information did nothing but unnecessarily lengthen the process of entering.
Because there are rooms in AMR I dedicated to student group use, upperclassmen should be able to easily access the building.
As it stands, the University Housing Security and Access Policy and Procedures manual mandates that the coordinator of the event must give a list of participants to the guards or identify the participants as they enter.
However, when one does not know the participants ahead of time, or when the coordinator may be needed elsewhere, it is impractical to require someone to stand outside the gate dictating who can enter.
With his access card, someone who lives in McCoy can allow an off-campus resident access to AMR I, even if neither is a resident of the building. During most hours of the day, students living on-campus can enter any dorm, no questions asked.
If Dave from McCoy can enter freshmen dorms with no problem, why can't Liz from the Northway? The only difference is that she is a year older and no longer has University housing.
Students living off-campus should have just as much access to the AMR I as students who live in University housing do.
It would be unfortunate if these rooms stopped being used by student groups because the entrance process is too tedious.
There is a limited amount of space available on campus for students' activities. We need access to those rooms. What will happen for sorority recruitment next semester? Will the large crowds of girls all have to enter one-by-one through the turnstiles?
There must be a more efficient way to make the dorms welcoming, while still allowing for tightened security measures.
All students can get into the gym or the library by swiping their J-Card. If this system was implemented throughout the dorms, it would help all students, juniors and seniors included, take advantage of the resources in the AMRs. Upperclassmen could enjoy their Smoky Mountain chicken sandwiches at Megabytes without having to worry about surrendering their I.D.s.
Alternatively, a callbox system similar to what the Homewood and the Bradford have could be installed in the AMRs. This system would allow residents to accept visitors from their rooms rather than having to come outside.
Increased security in the dorms should not be at the expense of student life. Students should be able to visit their friends, eat a sandwich, or attend a lecture without having to go through a lengthy sign-in process.
We need to keep away strangers, not students.
--Carey Polis is a junior Writing Seminars major from Bethesda, Md.
