Requiring EagleOne card access to enter all buildings would boost safety on campus

Requiring card access to on-campus buildings has also been effective at other universities.

For example, Stephen Mallozzi, a recent graduate and former resident assistant at the University of Virginia, said there have been several instances where requiring card access on grounds has benefitted his residents.

The required card access prevented him from following the girls to their room, and he was later reprimanded by the police, Mallozzi said.

Of course, there is a convenience factor for buildings that don’t require card access. Most students don’t want to have their card ready just to get to class, and forgetting your EagleOne would be a much bigger issue for students if all buildings required ID access.

“Sometimes I miss my morning alarm and, in my rush to class, I forget my ID,” said Ruby Scopko, a junior biomedical sciences major.

In cases like these, having to go back to your dorm building could make you late to class or the event you’re heading to. Scopko said, “I can’t imagine having to go back to my apartment to get it just so I can get into class.”

Despite being inconvenient at times, the benefits of requiring EagleOne card access for all buildings on campus far exceed the costs.

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“Just last year, two of my residents were followed back to their dorm building by a lacrosse player from some Pennsylvania university,” said Mallozzi. “He tried to get into the building after them but they shut the door in time and it locked.”

However, our tendency to not remember our cards is likely reinforced by how little we have to use them every day. If we had to use them for more than purchasing food and entering our residence halls, we would get used to the habit and treat them more like our key ring or wallet.

To ensure the safety of all students, we need to put this change in place. Student, staff and faculty safety should be the University’s top priority, and requiring EagleOne card access for all buildings—not just residence halls—would help make that a reality.

Crime Column

CALLIE HARKINS News Editor