The Georgetown Club and Activities Union voted unanimously Tuesday night to send a letter to the University administration expressing concern over the new lock-down policy on campus.
The letter follows one sent by the Georgetown University Student Association last Friday that expressed identical concerns. The new safety policy instituted by the administration denies students access to University buildings other than their own residences.
Lou Caravella (CAS ‘03) drafted and presented the letter to a meeting of the Club Union held in Copley Formal Lounge. Many club leaders reported experiencing difficulty attending the meeting when they found themselves locked out of Copley due to the new security measures.
Several club leaders also expressed particular anxiety over difficulties groups had experienced due to the new lock-down policy. Many clubs on campus meet regularly in dormitory lounges or classrooms that are now inaccessible.
Performing arts groups are especially impacted, as practice rooms in Walsh and LXR are locked under the new policy and alternate facilities are unavailable.
Other student organizations have also experienced difficulty with the new safety policy. The Muslim Student Association noted that many students have been unable to access prayer rooms as a result of the lock-down.
One possible solution is to individually reprogram the GOCards of students requiring access to rooms. In the case of performing arts groups alone, this method would involve adding over 150 names and numbers.
The letter mentions several specific concerns of student leaders. Among these are the creation of an “environment of distrust, fear and suspicion” on campus and limited access to academic and spiritual resources. GUSA representatives have also repeatedly emphasized the potential safety hazards of the new policy.
“To avoid a dangerous situation, students may wish to seek shelter indoors. The current policy locks students out of these safe havens, leaving them vulnerable while they await a response to their calls for help,” the letter said.
The letter also promised that the Club Union would take “necessary responsive action” if no progress is made by the University administration by Oct. 8.
Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Todd Olson said that the GUSA representatives are being listened to by the administration.
GUSA Adviser for Internal Affairs Jack Ternan (CAS ‘04) confirmed that a meeting between administration officials and student leaders is scheduled for Oct. 4 to discuss concerns over the new security measures.
GUSA President Kaydee Bridges (SFS ‘03) said that no student involvement was solicited in the formulation of this policy, despite her presence on campus during the summer.
The new policy is a product of the Emergency Response team formed at the request of University President John J. DeGioia in response to post-Sept. 11 security issues.
“I don’t see the correlation between Sept. 11 and [the new security policy]. I personally don’t think it’s appropriate to exploit Sept. 11 in order to enact this separate security measure,” Carvella said.
