I don’t feel safe on campus. In the residence halls in particular, there used to not be any kind of security measures being taken except after 8 p.m., when we had the privilege of security guards.I’m sure every student at WCU has, at one time or another, had a run-in with them; even if it was just because your parents wanted to help you take stuff to your room and you had to sign them in. Yes, security guards could definitely be a hassle, but what about the other 16 hours of the day, when there were no security guards? People would just come and go as they pleased, residents and nonresidents alike. It was this reasonthat I would almost always keep my door locked.
Last fall, friends of mine lived one floor above me. One night, they went to sleep forgetting to lock the door. Early in the morning, one of the occupants was awoken by the sound of someone fumbling around in the room. As his eyes adjusted to the light, he saw not his roommate, but a stranger ransacking his room! He chased the perpetrator out of the building, but to no avail. The bandit made off with his wallet and a few other things.
Sure, it could have been worse, but it was bad enough his stuff was stolen. Nothing was done about it because no one knew who the individual was, and there was no other witness other than his roommate.
Now, the University has finally implemented the new card system. From what I have heard and read about it, I was optimistically nave, thinking that it would provide “safety.” Yet it does nothing of the sort. I began to wonder how easily it would be for non-residents to come into our dorms and buildings with the new system. It was not until earlier this week, that I had an actual “test” to prove that this card system is a waste of time and money. I happened to be in my dorm with my roommate. When we decided it was a good time to clean. We went down to the front desk to get the supplies.
While we were doing so, a man approached the desk. He asked the Desk Assistant (DA) for a girl’s room number stating, “She’s my daughter, and I forgot her room number. I know she is on the first floor if that helps, but I just have to pick her up. That is, if she’s even there.” Without even asking for I.D., the DA merely asked him to repeat the last name before giving him the room number. My roommate and I stood there, stunned.
As I walked away, I began to think, “How did that man even get into our building?” The new swipe-card system operates under the premise that you can only enter with a card at all times. I’m not sure what scares me the most: the thought of anyone getting into my building at any time, or that a DA can give out room numbers at random.
Jessie Thurlow is a senior majoring in literature.