In response to recent complaints about resident access to the Southwest Quad, several university administrators have agreed to tour the complex to gain a better understanding of the issue.

GUSA Representative Drew Rau (COL ’06) has already given personal tours to Vice President for University Safety Dave Morrell and Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson and has a tour scheduled with Director of Residence Life Stephanie Lynch.

“By respectfully and fairly reaching out to the administration through these tours, they have warmed up to listening to student input,” Rau said. “Dave Morrell, Todd Olson and Stephanie Lynch have begun to listen to students. I just hope that they are as willing as I am to follow this commitment to a fair and reasonable [Southwest Quad] access policy through to the end.”

Olson said he would work with students to ensure that an adequate procedure would be put in place.

“I did take a tour early [Wednesday], and I know that access issues are important to students,” Olson said. “As we address the access issue, we are aware of the need to balance student security and convenient access.”

Access to Kennedy, Reynolds and McCarthy was recently limited in response to increase acts of vandalism. Some students have argued that the new security procedure, which allows students access only to their own building and none of the other adjacent buildings, is inconvenient and unnecessary.

“The logic behind these changes doesn’t make sense and I’m disappointed that students’ efforts to discuss this with those instituting the changes didn’t seem to be welcomed,” GUSA Representative and Kennedy resident Annie O’Brien (NHS ’06) said.

Some students argue for replacement of card-readers with student guards as the only viable alternative.

“If anyone really wants to get in, it is quite possible to without the presence of guards. It is also a lot easier to walk out carrying a bag full of laptops or other valuables,” Kennedy resident Ian Thompson (SFS ’06) said.

Optimistic that change is on the horizon, Rau said, “Nothing is certain yet, but given the administration’s apparent openness to this issue, I believe there is a good chance we will see change fairly soon.”