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Students Ready To Protest Dorm Searches
" The university reserves the right to enter ones premises at anytime for purposes of maintenance and establishment of order for security purposes. Room inspection are permitted at anytime with reasonable notice to the student." The clause, found in section one of the Housing Contract, as well as recent dorm room searches has many students who reside in Bethune Annex, Tubman Quadrangle, and Meridian Hill Hall ready to protest. This anger stems from recent room searches that have been performed in Cook Hall, Bethune Annex, Tubman Quadrangle, Drew Hall, and Meridian Hill Hall. Director of On Campus Housing Charles Gibbs said that the reason for the searches was because unauthorized people were reported in these buildings. " In the specific case of Meridian [Hill Hall], there were three people who were found during the dorm inspections," Gibbs said. " These searches might have inconvenienced some, but the safety of all of the students is top priority to Resident Life." Many students agree with the fact that Residence Life should be able to search rooms if the need becomes necessary, but the procedure that Resident officials search should be changed. "When someone came into my room at 3:00a.m. all they did was just peeked into my room," sophomore dance major Lynet' Rochelle said. " If they were going to wake me up to do a dorm search; then they should have searched my room completely." Junior biology major Deola Awosanya said that officials only asked to see her identification. " They didn't even have a list of who was a resident or not so how would they know who was a resident?" Sophomore business management major Saajida Atlas said that the people who conducted the search should have conducted themselves more properly. " The people who conducted the search were rude and unfriendly," Atlas said. " They should have been more professional when they came to everyone's rooms." Gibbs said that he made sure that resident officials were very professional when they were conducted the dorm searches. The time at which most of the searches took place was another concern of students. " They [Resident officials] came at 4:20a.m. to search my room," senior political science major Mercedes White said. " I had just finished typing a paper for my 8:00 class and I was awaken by people banging on my door. When I went to Residence Life to complain, they said that they were doing it because [unauthorized] students were on the floor." Junior rtvf major Kamani White said that he was undressed at 5:00a.m.,but Resident officials still came in. " I told them to wait a minute before they came in so that I could get dressed, but they still came in," White said. " I feel that they invaded my privacy." Gibbs said that Residence Life felt it necessary to hold the searches at these times because most students are settled in their rooms after midnight. " We held the searches after midnight, because we knew that unauthorized people would be in the rooms at these times." Some students are also angered by the fact the University did not give students reasonable notice about the searches. Meridian resident Akindele Akerejah along with other Meridian residents have planned a rally to protest the searches. " The school's right of entry policy is so vague that it must be amended immediately for the student's welfare," Akerejah said. " The purpose of the policy is to ensure student well being in which the standing housing policy does so most inadequately based on the fact that it conflicts with the majority of adult students privacy interests. Gibbs said that the University only has to inform students of general room searches. " If we [Residence Life] have received word from individuals that unauthorized people are in the building; then we have the right to search rooms without notice." Gibbs added that searches have not infringed upon anyone's rights only protected them. " All of the searches had meaning," Gibbs said. " We search rooms when we receive information that unauthorized people are in the building or there are illegal substances in rooms." Gibbs added that these searches are only the beginning in Residence Life attempts to tighten security. " We have tried to tighten security on campus to benefit the students," Gibbs said. " In the past, we have had back doors of residence halls left open and students have let people in through. Vagrants from off the streets see these doors left open and they can easily enter these buildings." The Community Director of Tubman Quadrangle Rosyln Douglas said that she has made many changes to increase safety at the Quad. " We have eliminated students sitting on the wall outside of the dormitory as well as making sure that every student shows their ID before they enter the dorm," Douglas said. "If there are gaps in the system we want to make sure that all unauthorized people are out of the dormitory by midnight." Students plan to hold a rally at the Mordecai Johnson administration on Thursday September 11 from 12-3p.m. to protest these searches along with other Residence Life issues.
