Editorial: Handover in University City

Spectaguard's control of Walking Escort should be watched closely. Will guards be better than students? The administration should regard the Spectaguard takeover of Walking Escort as a test only. If students complain that the security guards aren't friendly, or if there are longer delays between when an escort is requested and when he or she actually shows up, officials should consider returning the service to "civilian" employees. University officials claim that the switch will save money since the security guards are already doing their job in walking their beats; now, they'll just have students walk along with them. Susan Hawkins, the public safety official who oversees Walking Escort, said that the student employees often worked erratic numbers of hours from week to week. But the students who worked for Walking Escort often took the jobs because the only time they could work was late at night. There are relatively few other safe jobs available, say the downsized students. This action doesn't exactly foster goodwill between the administration and students. In fact, officials gave the student escorts about two months' notice before they were off the payroll. Maybe, however, students could find a way to get the better of the University. They could start a service that goes past 40th Street, or runs more hours of the day or in conjunction with the shuttle vans and buses. After all, Walking Escort was founded by students in 1985.