Living in Collins has been a great experience. Though the facilities are outdated and the accumulation of blonde hair is massive, the community it provides is beyond worth it. In The Lariat article published last week, I noticed something interesting: although Collins’ community leaders were quoted on the hall’s supposed increased security measures, no residents were quoted.
So the question is, why are Collins’ girls propping open the door and allowing strangers into the dorm? Simple: The single entrance policy enacted last year. The idea was that by having one entrance, CL’s would be able to monitor every person entering the dorm. The problem? It is incredibly inconvenient and the path to the front door can be downright dangerous at night. The dimly lit path, inhabited by opossum and raccoon, is long and winding, and many residents, myself included, are incredibly lazy. Consequently, as residents exit though the exterior doors, they often allow people to enter behind them. Similarly, girls taking out their trash often use magnets, rocks, and even flip-flops on occasion, to prop open the door while they are out. Every week I receive an email reminding me of the dangers of engaging in these activities, and every week, I, along with hundreds of other residents, continue to engage in these activities.
What are we to do? Ever since the policy was enacted, Collins has, ironically, become less safe than ever. My suggestion? Let’s spend a little more money to ensure the safety of 600 girls. First, we should add security cameras to the auxiliary doors that could feed directly into screens monitored by those on call. Second, we must add card swipes on each floor’s entrance in stairwells, so that even if someone dangerous were let in, he or she would have to find a way through the second checkpoint to reach residents. Finally, we must disband the single entrance policy. This way residences exiting the building will know those trying to enter through side doors obviously do not have key access to the building and therefore are not allowed to be there unattended.
I believe Baylor truly has our best intentions at heart, but is dreadfully misinformed. All of this is to say, you can warn us all you want and threaten us with reprimands, but in the end, we will continue to compromise security in the name of convenience.
Paige Hardy
San Antonio Freshman
