Ka Leo O Hawaii

Issue date: 1/17/08 Section: Commentary

Media Credit: Meghan Lopez Dog tag-style keys do little to prevent intruders from breaking into dorm rooms.

With five break-ins reported since August, it's no surprise that security has been tightened around the University of Hawai‘i campus. This upgrade has resulted in a 24-hour check-in policy in the freshman towers and more people working the front desks than ever before.

Yet these security enhancements do not seem to be strong enough, with the most recent attack having occurred only days ago. We must now question if there are other safety precautions that have been overlooked in the university's attempt to secure us from the outside world. Specifically, we must ask ourselves whether the dorms themselves are built with the safety of students in mind.

One blatant risk that the university imposes on dorm residents is manifested in an odd attempt to save money on electricity by limiting the installation of central air-conditioning systems throughout most of the dorms. What's more, UH's 2007-2008 Residence Hall Handbook exclusively forbids the usage of personal air-conditioning systems in the university's dorms and apartments.

This rule brings with it two potential hazards that could lead to break-ins. First, dormers often leave their doors open on hot days in order to create a cross-breeze in their room. In fact, the room set-up seems to endorse this idea: Students are given pins to hold open heavy doors.

Unfortunately, this has led to several thefts, since residents rarely lock their doors when they leave their rooms, giving intruders a perfect opportunity to walk in and grab as many things as they can before the resident returns.

Second, instead of air-conditioners, vents made of adjustable glass have been placed in each room. The idea is that students can increase the flow of air entering the room by opening extra windows. The panes of glass can be removed rather easily, however, granting another possibility for residential invasion.

Furthermore, many students in the dorms leave their windows open during the day, thereby preventing their rooms from overheating while they are in class. But conveniently placed balconies provide burglars easy access to these rooms, and yet another opportunity for walking away with stolen treasure.

As for the doors, the dorms all use an awkward type of key system whereby magnetic dog tags serve as keys. There are no chain locks whatsoever, and the inside of the existing locks look like the small buttons that are used to fasten bathroom doors in public facilities. The doors rarely close properly when the student enters, so they must force it shut. If not done carefully, a burglar could simply push the door open to gain access.

The ramshackle dorms are in desperate need of repair in order to better protect the students living on campus. Dorm residents and their parents should be able to rest easily knowing that the university is doing everything in its power to protect and serve them. Thus, instead of trying to accommodate a greater number of students, the university should have put the $61 million that went into the construction of Frear Hall into security improvements at the existing dorms.

Hopefully dorm residents will not have to wait long for security upgrades and will not be subjected to many more stories about students being victimized in the privacy of their own homes. It's time for us, who live without air conditioning, to put the heat on the university in the hope of a safer future.

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