Residential Life activated an alarm system on the back door of Miller Hall Monday in response to residents’ using the door for purposes for which it was not intended. Mary Wallace, associate director for residence education, said female residents have been sneaking male guests into Miller after curfew through the back door next to the dumpster for about a year. Wallace said this was the primary reason for installing the alarm system. “The community has complained about it,” Wallace said. “The staff [has] complained about it. We’ve seen it enough. A year is enough for us to know that this is a problem.” Wallace said safety is also somewhat of a concern. “It’s not directly linked to security, except when we don’t know who the guests are in our buildings,” Wallace said. “It’s hard for us to provide a community atmosphere where people feel that things are being monitored.” Wallace said security was not the primary cause for the alarm system’s installation, though. “There’s no connection between safety issues going on on campus and this,” Wallace said. “It’s more that there were violations going on throughout the last year or so at that back door.” Rachel Wilkes, kinesiology freshman and Miller resident, said she thinks the alarm will help to ensure Miller residents’ safety. Wallace said other measures have been taken to correct the problem, such as educating residents about Office of Residential Life’s policies. “This is the most effective way of dealing with that problem right now,” Wallace said. “We’ve tried other routes. Those routes have not worked.” Emily Mistrzak, English freshman and Miller resident, said the alarm is currently the best option. “This probably is the last option because they can say, ‘Don’t bring boys in, don’t bring boys in,'” Mistrzak said. “But if you really want to, you’ll find a way.” There are currently no plans for Evangeline Hall, the other all-girl residence hall on campus, to have an alarm system installed. Wallace said gender is not an issue in this decision, and this problem is unique to Miller Hall. “If we were having this problem at McVoy, we would do this,” Wallace said. “The issue is that it’s happening in Miller. This is where it’s being reported that this is a problem.” Some Miller residents think the alarm system is unnecessary. “It seems silly to me,” said Timmons Gray, fashion merchandising freshman and Miller resident. “I’ve always felt safe in here.” Gray said her friend’s mother lived in Miller when she attended the University, a time during which there was no alarm system. “I just feel like, why now?” Gray said. “Why is it necessary now when it hasn’t been necessary for so long?” Wallace said the alarm system is triggered when anyone opens the door. “A staff member with a key has to go turn it off,” Wallace said. “That key will be kept at the desk, so not everybody will have access to that key.”
—-Contact Lindsay Rabalais at [email protected]