On Wednesday, Jan. 2007, Student Government Association President Evan Krauss gave his State of the Association speech.
This 10-minute explication of SGA’s current standing was evasive, to be sure-Krauss’ thesis was actually a question, and his speech focused on what SGA hoped to achieve in the coming term rather than what it had already accomplished.
Despite this noticable shift of focus-why ignore all past-semester effort, unless there is a legitimate reason to do so?-the speech was surprisingly ambitious and frank, and made several good suggestions for the future of SGA.
Krauss’ call for greater financial assistance to students is pertinent, especially in light of next year’s 8.5 percent tuition increase. Appeals for increased service and diversity, although oft-heard, are also valid.
Krauss even made a few bold moves, suggesting that the technology fee be eliminated if it is not used, and requesting an all-weather outdoor turf field. Even bolder were the comments at the end of his speech, in which he finally expressed his true feelings about an unnamed “controversial issue.” Yes, President Krauss, quite bold.
After reviewing these legitimate concerns for the future of Saint Louis University, however, we at The University News noticed that “student safety” didn’t make Krauss’ list. In light of the new safety policies-checking in all guests and locking residence hall doors 24 hours per day-and a recent DeMattias Hall break in and assault, we think it should have.
Safety is too important an issue to be overlooked, especially on our Midtown campus. Who can forget that we live in the most dangerous city in America? That’s an embarrassing moniker, and it’s only going to get worse-the number of rapes, robberies, car thefts and assaults actually increased in St. Louis between 2005 and 2006. We have the third-largest police force in the state, and students are still regularly mugged on the corners of campus. And don’t forget the local television station that recently did some investigative reporting to see which Missouri universities were easiest to break into. That week, SLU desk workers cracked down on students with lazy ID-swiping habits and demanded that all guests be formally checked in.
Desk worker attention to detail must have waned in the past week, though, especially on the western fringes of University territory: just after midnight on Jan. 17, a desk worker let three unknown men trespass into DeMatt. The very next night, a DeMatt desk worker let a particularly “disoriented” guest slip by unchecked. That guest traversed the dorm naked. He then stumbled into a room he thought was his girlfriend’s (it wasn’t) and tried to strangle the young man he found there.
Sophocles and Aristophanes would have a heyday trying to figure out whether the security situation in this traditionally Greek dorm is a comedy or a tragedy.
We, however, won’t hesitate in calling these incidents a problem.
For the most part, we cannot control crime outside University boundaries. But on-campus? That is inexcusable.
The new check-in policies may seem excessive, but they are necessary. Desk workers, step it up and do your jobs. Incidents like these prove that your work is important, not just another opportunity to do homework.
SGA, recognize that safety is a serious issue at SLU, and make it a part of your platform for the rest of the semester. Only then will the state of the association truly be strong.
