“Key” to improvement: Residential life strengthens dorm entry access

Southern University Residential Life has added a new security system to student dormitories. This new asset is sweeping residence halls at various universities statewide. A few of the institutions included are McNeese State University, Southeastern Louisiana University, and Grambling State University.
Though Southern seems to be last in following the residential life trend, the Jaguars have succeeded in keeping our living quarters safe. Students have been assigned individual key cards. The key cards are used for entering residence halls with the exception of the university apartments.
During freshmen orientation this summer, Director of Residential Life and Housing, Tracie Abraham, informed incoming students that the housing department would be adopting the precautionary measure. During an interview, Abraham made it clear as to why Southern has chosen to utilize key cards.
“With the key cards, we guarantee not only safety, but a peace of mind to students.” Both Parents and students were receptive to the idea.
Students began to notice small black boxes outside of their residence halls at the beginning of this fall semester. About a month after classes began, key cards were administered to on campus students. Residence Life waited until after class resumed, because it had to be ensured that every student was accounted for. Every student would have to first be housed in order to receive their cards.
The idea of the key card is to simply lock out anyone who isn’t a resident here on the Southern University campus. If students are expecting guests, they are to meet their guests in the lobby as suggested by Abraham.
Residential Life is said to be “working through the glitches with the key cards.” For every computer based product, technical problems will come about. There haven’t been many issues regarding the key cards thus far.
When asked if a key card was lost how will the student enter their room Abraham responded saying, “a replacement key card is 50 dollars.”
Freshmen Morgan Clay, a Criminal Justice major from Houston, Texas, says that she does feel safer with the use of her key card. “I personally keep my card on my keychain,” Clay claims to have noticed her friends keeping them stored inside of their phone cases. When asked if her residence hall has begun the use of actively locking the doors, Clay said that they have. While visiting buildings such as Totty Hall and Shade Hall, Clay noticed that only one door has been locked. The others still grant entry to outsiders. Clay admits that she “doesn’t see it as a big deal.”
Senior Diamond Nickelson, a Nursing major and native of New Orleans, sees the key cards as a necessity. She has been attending Southern University since 2012 and has been expecting this update in security since then. She agrees that the technological advance is long overdue. “This campus feels safer knowing that people can’t just enter into our lobbies.”