Tight security precautions pay off

Police and Secret ServicePolice and Secret Serviceblanketed the area nearPolice and Secret Serviceblanketed the area nearHill Field yesterday. Sharpshooters marked the rooftops of nearby buildings. Metal detectors bordered the area. Secret Service agents with coiled earphones whispered directions into concealed walkie-talkies. And it all paid off, according to University officials, who said organizers handled security effectively for President Clinton's visit yesterday. University and Philadelphia Police, in addition to Secret Service, patrolled Hill Field and the surrounding area. And although several security glitches did occur, none resulted in serious problems. The Secret Service only set up five metal detectors, too few to handle the 15,000-plus crowd, University spokesperson Ken Wildes said. "They could have certainly had another five or six machines," he added. "To handle the crowd with that number of machines, they would have needed the crowd to begin coming in at 8 or 9 a.m." As a result, at 2 p.m. -- with the line still winding down the entire block of 34th and Walnut streets -- the Secret Service decided to fence off the back end of Hill Field and allow spectators to stand in that area without passing through any security checkpoint. Hundreds of people then rushed into the sectioned-off area. Wildes said that although one woman reported being jostled, he was thankful no injuries occurred. Police also faced many spectators who attempted to gain unauthorized entrance to the field at the VIP/press gate, according to a Philadelphia Police officer manning that area. Although police and snipers were supposed to be placed on any rooftop with a view of Hill Field, some students who climbed to the roofs of Bennett and Meyerson halls said officers did not notice their presence until at least 15 minutes had passed. College sophomore Rachel Dulitz said she did not see any police officers in Bennett at all and added that she went up on the building's roof twice before someone noticed her. The number of buildings overshadowing the field was a major downside to the location, according to Wildes. While Secret Service agents and city police roamed the perimeter of Hill Field, security inside Hill House was handled by University Police exclusively, according to a University Police officer who requested anonymity. Despite warnings against opening or standing near windows in Hill, 3401 Walnut Street and the Law School, some students tried to catch a glimpse of the proceedings from those buildings. Hill Graduate Fellow and sixth-year Philosophy graduate student Michael McShane turned down two students requesting access to his third-floor room window, which overlooks Hill Field. But McShane said the approximately 30 freshmen in his suite understood and complied with the regulations. College senior John Yum, one of the students McShane refused to allow into his room, said the security regulations were "understandable but kind of too much." During the rally, Hill House also served as a press headquarters, housing 80 phone lines, two electrical generators and 110 members of the national press in its basement recreation area. In less than 14 hours, the basement, one of Hill's classrooms and the area near the dining hall were transformed by an advance team into a fully functioning press area. National media, White House Press Secretary Mike McCurry, a 20-person television team and approximately 30 to 40 members of the local press filled the residence's basement. "The room is a little cramped, but [Hill House administrators] have been wonderful, really hospitable," TV team leader and ABC Producer Mary Walsh said. Acting Hill Assistant Dean Tracy Feld and her husband, Acting Assistant Director of Academic Programs in Residence Steve Feld, said their initial concerns that the Clinton visit would disrupt life in Hill proved unfounded. "They asked us at every turn how things would impact the residence and its dining," Feld continued. "They really wanted to make sure they weren't more of an imposition than they had too."

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