Who are you letting into your building?
In the past few weeks there have been two unrelated yet similar incidents in the dorms involving students and the use of hallucinogenic controlled substances.
Both students accessed dorm buildings. One was in Hallett Hall and the other in Stearns East Hall.
Despite being on drugs, both managed to get past security and enter the dorms.
Dan Colburn, a freshman pre-journalism major and hall council member living in Hallett Hall, was around on Sept. 28 when the naked intruder entered the dorm.
“Security wasn’t an issue at all,” Colburn said. “The issue is kids letting other kids into the building, it’s really not hard to get in.”
As a hall council member, Colburn is instructed to tell his hall mates to be careful when doing drugs, and when letting people into the building.
After the molesting incident was reported to one of the resident advisers in Hallett, it was only a short period of time before the head RA notified security and Boulder Police came to the scene.
Many students feel un-threatened.
“I feel safe, it’s not like I’m dropping acid,” Colburn said.
Campus security has increased its efforts to reach out and provide support to individuals and well as increase presence in the dorms.
“We encourage students to come to the aid of others in threatening situations, but only if they feel confident they can assist without also being injured,” an email sent out by campus security said.
According to the residents of Williams Village, the security wasn’t so swift. Freshmen sociology major Vince Meade, who lives on the floor that was threatened by the acid-dropping intruder, recalls waiting a while for them to show up.
“One of the kids on our floor had to hold the guy down while security was on their way,” Meade said. “Security got lucky that a six foot four, 260 pound guy was here to take care of things.”
After security arrived they handled the situation appropriately.
“It’s not a matter of feeling safe,” Meade said. “The security here does their job, but the kids here do a lot of drugs, sometimes stuff happens.”
Sometimes, there is nothing that can be done.
“No one was at fault for the guy getting in,” Meade said. “There was nothing anyone could have done. He is a student and he had a key.”
On the contrary, the person in Hallet was unknowingly let in by an actual resident.
“I don’t want to be the jerk that doesn’t let someone into my dorm because I think they look suspicious,” Colburn said. “How are you supposed to know a student from a rapist?”
Contact Clare Lane at clare.lane@colorado.edu
