After the Virginia Tech massacre, universities across the country, including Temple, saw the need for improved security. Last November, a trespasser allegedly assaulted a female student in Anderson hall. Building security became more strict. I visited Anderson four days later, and foot traffic had slowed as the security personnel inspected everybody’s ID. This was true in other buildings, as well.
I spend most of my graduate student life in Wachman Hall. At first, security was not exactly stellar. The jolly security guard on the ground floor rarely checked entrants. Last summer, he was finally replaced by more diligent personnel who became more strict after the assault. Would this tightening be permanent, or was it just for show? I was not optimistic; after the Anderson assault, I had observed a sign posted on the back door of 1810 Liacouras Walk (still there today) reminding entrants to check in with security. As a test, I entered that door on a couple of occasions and managed to get upstairs without anybody noticing.
Certain Wachman security guards’ behavior this week may signal that we are returning to the status quo. Some on the ground floor of Wachman seem to have become more lax. One evening, the guard was not even watching the door. She was staring at the wall. I was waving my student ID, just inviting her to gaze upon my bearded face, but I got no response. In the past couple of days, I have walked in with other folks, and the guard has not asked for any of our IDs.
All this does not necessarily mean Temple’s security improvements are all smoke and mirrors. It is likely quite difficult for such a large organization to beef up security. Ann Weaver Hart can make policy pronouncements, but it is hard to keep those responsible for implementing her ideas from relaxing once the immediate threat begins to die down. The best ideas can be undermined by one incompetent or inattentive human. Hopefully, systems such as the emergency alert network, which was tested February, will allow Temple to react quickly in emergency situations, no matter how relaxed every-day security becomes. The moral is that we should not expect Temple to be 100% secure. The world can be quite unpleasant, and it is reasonable to expect some danger to spill over onto campus, even with someone watching the doors.
