Report draws varied responses in dorms

Sleeping security guards are not necessarily University students' worst nightmare. Student reaction varied yesterday to an article in yesterday's Daily Pennsylvanian detailing allegations made by several McGinn Security Services guards that some co-workers sleep on the job and are not properly trained or supervised. While some students who live on campus expressed fear for their safety, many said the situation does not worry them. "It's not right, but it's difficult for people to work at five in the morning," College junior Jeff Greenspan said while waiting for the elevator in High Rise North last night. "It's human nature." "People are concerned, but I do feel safe [living on campus]," College sophomore Renee Simon said. "Whenever I've come in, the guards have been up, and they've been pretty strict even about letting students [into the High Rises] who don't live in the High Rises." Some students said that while the issue may raise the question of the responsibility of the guards, the presence of guards itself could be sufficient for security purposes. "It wasn't too surprising, but still, it's better than no security at all," Engineering senior Brett Aukburg said. "Compared to having no security at all, I guess it's a deterrent having someone sit there." And several students expressed sympathy for individual security guards with whom they had a personal relationship. "I feel that security in the High Rises is very personal and friendly," College senior Scott Shapiro said. "Nate, who works late at night, is a very good friend of mine." "I do feel safe," College junior Mike Smith said as the elevator doors closed behind him. "[The issue is more] that it's their job and they're just not doing it well, that's all." But "just not doing it well" was something that some students found particularly troubling. "I think it's a tragedy that there are certain security guards on campus that don't take their job seriously enough," Wharton and College junior Larry Linietsky said. "At minimum, a good guard is an awake guard." "If they're going to have guards that fall asleep, they might as well not have them at all," College sophomore Laurie Wershba said in her High Rise South room. "I'm really disturbed by it." "Parents make their children live in the High Rises, but it seems that people can just walk through anywhere," she added. Some students said that while security should be one of the University's top priorities, they are not sure that is the case. "It's their job to protect you, and it seems like there's more that could be done," College sophomore Debra Bernstein said. "Off campus, I have more of a chance of protecting myself." Bernstein said students on campus still feel more in their element than they do elsewhere. "I feel safer on campus than anywhere else," Bernstein said. "We tend to have a false sense of security." "I still feel safe here," College sophomore Layla Gilbert said in her High Rise apartment. "If people just see the security guards, they'll think the security's up."

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