Fundraisers sneak into dorms

Students living in High Rise North and High Rise South had some unwelcome visitors this weekend, as a group of fundraisers gained unauthorized access to the buildings and hassled residents about buying magazine subscriptions in incidents that led several students to question the buildings' security. Some fundraisers asked students to sign them into the buildings as guests, while others snuck into the high rises and began knocking on students' doors, building residents said. The incident sparked student concerns about security in the buildings, with many questioning how the the fundraisers were able to get into the buildings. "I think it's ridiculous with all of the money that Penn's spending to keep us safe," said College junior Emily Lieff, who lives on the eighth floor of High Rise North. "If they can get into the buildings, they can get into our rooms." The fundraisers -- college-aged men and women involved in a national "Meet the People" competition -- came to Penn more than a week ago. Stationed on Locust Walk, they tried to gain points towards a $1,000 prize or a spring break trip by selling magazine subscriptions to passing students and faculty. But early last week, the fundraisers gained entrance to High Rise South and went door to door trying to sell subscriptions, students said. Following student complaints, Spectaguard personnel searched the building for people fitting descriptions of the fundraisers, but one remained unaccounted for, residents added. And this weekend -- when dorms were largely empty due to the Jewish new year -- High Rise North residents voiced similar concerns about fundraisers hassling students and pitching subscriptions in the dormitories. Lieff said she was waiting for an elevator when she saw a college-aged woman knock on every door in her hall trying to sell subscriptions. "She was just going door to door, all friendly," Lieff explained. "She just knocked on every door." The fundraisers' access to the buildings violated University policy, which requires guests to remain with their hosts at all times and bars unregistered visitors from all student dormitories. Additionally, Penn prohibits unauthorized salespeople or fundraisers from entering student residences or confronting students in their rooms. Some students complained that the fundraisers had approached them in the buildings' lobbies and asked to be signed in as personal guests, with one gaining access to the high rise by mentioning his fundraising cause to Spectaguard personnel. "I think he said that he was from University of the Arts and the doorman had let him in because he said he was doing his fundraiser," said a High Rise North resident who requested anonymity. Public Safety and Residential Life officials did not return repeated requests for comment, and resident advisors in the two high rises said they had not been informed about the unauthorized fundraisers because it was not classified as an emergency situations. Although Associate Vice President for Campus Services Larry Moneta said he had not heard reports about the incidents, he admitted that University officials would be "very concerned if people were talking their way through [building officials]."