About once a week, whatever I am doing is suddenly interrupted by my realization that it is almost midnight, and I am about to be locked out of my dorm. I jump up from my friend’s room, the library – wherever, really – and book it back to my room before the doors click shut at twelve sharp.
This habit has been a bane of my existence since freshman year, and I never could figure out why I had to live locked-in. It’s a prominent rumor that girls’ dorms must be locked at night by state law, but this is completely untrue. I know the locks are meant to make me feel safe, but I never really got that. Frankly, if someone was going to come into my room and attack me, it would actually be safer for it to happen during house hours when all my hallmates are definitely around and all is quiet, so any cries for help could be heard. But it’s okay, I’ll buy the safety reasoning and deal with having a key on me if I’m out late. Not a big deal – but why is this only a problem for women?
If locks during house hours offer a safer atmosphere for students, why do boys not get such a privilege? We can’t really believe that girls are the only sex prone to being attacked. In fact, the biggest attack I can recall since I’ve been here was on a male student. Maybe it is because we trust our community and the men’s general safety enough to not have them dealing with the extra hassle of locks. If that is the case, then why are we making women take on this extra precaution? No matter if you agree or disagree with locking halls and houses during house hours, only half of the campus is getting the extra security or extra annoyance.
Amber Dahlin / photo
Thinking about the undertones that the current policy expresses about gender bothered me. So I contacted Dean of Students Dorsie Glen to get to the heart of the matter. She replied, “We probably will begin locking men’s houses.” Oh. Well. That shut me and my gender-equality loudmouth right up.
Obviously, it’s no surprise when Principia does its own thing in comparison to our peer colleges. “The colleges I have checked with all lock their houses [dorms], but they are locked 24/7,” said Glen. “We have a new insurance consultant who was on campus recently, and she was surprised that we do not lock men’s houses.” Who wouldn’t be surprised, I wonder. I am reminded of the time one of my friends from OSU visited me one weekend. She screamed when we walked out of my lockless room on the way to dinner: “I just put my bags in there! And your laptop!” This was only one of many surprises for her. Later, she tried to call my cell phone when I walked away from her in the dining room and cheered excessively loudly for “the Panthers” during a swim meet.
The point is, Principia is not the norm, and that is good. But when it comes to our liabilities, sometimes we have to play by other rules. We have got to start locking men’s houses at night just like the women’s. Glen adds, “As much as I wish it could be a discussion with students, because we like to include students in on decisions whenever possible, I think our ability to qualify for insurance will be a major factor.”
Where does that leave us? Maybe male students won’t be happy to have locks. Personally, I enjoy a good showing of equality in whatever form that takes. So, I am rather pleased. I suppose we could be concerned about our ideological safety—not just physically, but mentally. Is it really a good thing that society in general tells us we are not safe unless we lock our doors? Well, no. But sometimes it is necessary to make concessions to our Prin utopia to cover our bases outside the bubble. And will the precautions hurt? No. You might even say that sprinting across campus at 11:58 p.m. builds character. I would disagree, but you could say that.
Great subject! I have always thought that locking women’s dorms was a small but obvious symbol of sexism. It reinforced the idea that women were more vulnerable than men and gave women a little but unnecessary extra burden. It is concerning that few people care about the messages sent by locking only women’s dorms, and it’s good to hear that now men’s dorms will be locked as well. I don’t think it’s just a sign of giving into insurance necessities; it’s a sign of becoming more up-to-date.