Last night I received a profane blitz from the class council that read like this:
"So, the College is going to the dorm doors. Council is trying to gauge Senior opinions about the decision and pass your thoughts onto administrators. They apparently don't give a shit what we think, but maybe they'll take some of your thoughts into consideration."
My first reaction is "What does 'going to the dorm doors' mean?" This blitz was poorly written. Secondly, with words such as "Dirty limericks are encouraged," it's clear that the Council only wants to collect opinions that favor their stance against doors being locked. Who's on the Class Council anyhow? They certainly don't represent my sentiment on this issue. And I am glad I didn't go through them because the administration did listen to my opinion on the subject. I know student body governments are the formal channels to the administration but they are not the best way to gauge student opinion. It is no wonder that last time this issue came up the students were "against" door locks. Contrary to the Council's opinion, there are a fair number of people on this campus who support the College's decision. I think the Council should be a little more mature when addressing the rest of the '01 class on such a sensitive topic. What are they saying to the women who got their privacy invaded while taking showers in the dorms? I am appalled that they would handle themselves in such a juvenile way.
I applaud Dean of Residential Life Redman's and the College's decision to install a relatively easy-to-use perimeter card system and to increase the security in the women's bathrooms. The security system will help Dartmouth continue to provide students with a relatively safe environment.
On the night of February 20, a woman in my hall opened her shower curtain to an unidentified man watching her. I was not the one to experience an invasion of my privacy, never mind what could have happened. But on the following morning, I walked into the dorm bathroom and pulled back the curtains on each shower. After finishing with the showers, I lowered my head to check each toilet stall. Once I assured myself that there was no one present but me, I proceeded to take my shower just I have done every day since childhood. But something was different " I was afraid. I kept thinking, "Faster, rinse faster."
I was racing to finish and get out of the bathroom, which did not have a lock. I was completely vulnerable. Anyone looking to assault a woman can just walk into the unlocked dorms and into the unlocked female bathrooms. What more could possibly take away from a sense of community than an assault on one of its own members? From that morning on, I have never felt completely at ease in the women's bathroom.
I agree that Dartmouth is safer than a metropolitan city but that does not mean that crime does not occur here. The Zantop murders demonstrate this fact. In addition, the authorities have yet to find the male intruder(s) reported in the Topliff and Smith bathrooms.
All students should have the option of living in a secured domain. The bathroom is just as much a part of my living quarters as my bedroom. It just so happens at college the two are not physically connected. Before the recent shower incident in Topliff, I was much more lax in doing my part to be aware and safe. Thank you, Dean Redman, for giving the women in my dorm the option of showering in a locked bathroom.
It's true that a security system will not provide 100 percent protection from crime, but the card system and bathroom locks will provide a basic level of security. For all those who don't want dorm locks, you have the option of leaving your room unlocked, but please don't compromise my safety too. And for those individuals who think this takes away from Dartmouth's community, think of your mother or your sister or your daughter. Would you want them to live in Dartmouth's dorms for four years without a dorm lock or a bathroom lock?
