Quad bathrooms locked in new security measure

Quadrangle residents stumbling to the bathroom in the middle of the night will now have to remember their keys. Starting yesterday, the University implemented a new policy requiring that all bathrooms in the Quad be kept locked at all times. The change is intended primarily as a security measure, according to officials. Questions over security were raised after an incident in late September, when a man gained unauthorized access to the Quad, entered a female student's room and allegedly attempted to sexually assault her. The new locking system is not directly in response to the incident but was something administrators hoped to have in place at the start of the year to address general security concerns, according to an e-mail sent by Woodland College House Dean Jane Rogers to Woodland residents. To open Quad bathroom doors -- which were outfitted with new locks -- students will now need to use their existing room keys, functional only in their own college house. First-year Dental student Liz Prada, a Graduate Adviser in Ware College House, said the bathroom locks are an important measure for students' safety. "A lot of girls on my hall were kind of anxious and worried they might be the target of someone else," Prada said. "I actually had a resident ask if I could watch the door for her." However, not all residents have expressed enthusiasm over the new policy. "I just think it's ridiculous," College freshman Adam Weber said. "I don't think you should need to carry a key around, especially if you're going to the bathroom or taking a shower." "It's one thing to be worried about security, but it's another to make it so inconvenient that kids are just going to find a way to disengage the locks," he added. "And I don't think it's worth it." Some students have taken to posting petitions on the doors to Quad bathrooms, asking that the doors be kept unlocked. Ware College House Dean Katherine Lowe said she is aware of some students' discontent. "Both [Ware College House Faculty Master Mark Lieberman] and I have made sure that we've represented the students' point of view" to administrators considering security options, Lowe said. Some students complained that especially with pledging events coming up in the next few weeks, students who have had too much to drink may not be able to make it to the bathroom in time. However, some feel the hassles are not comparable to the risks. "Given security in the women's bathrooms on other parts of campus, I don't think it's unreasonable," Prada said. However, some expressed concern that the locks do not differentiate between male and female bathrooms, as male residents will still be able to enter all restrooms. Although the topic is hotly-debated among some students, others are still undecided. "It'll be a pain in the butt, but it's also a safety issue," Wharton freshman Maria DeMuro said. "If everything is locked... maybe it limits our freedom a little bit more, and it might be something of a pain when we have visitors, but in some respects, it might help in case all their other measures fail."