DeKALB | Following the recent shooting at Virginia Tech, residence hall security is coming under greater scrutiny.

“I think we are doing all that we can currently to make sure the systems we have are effective,” said Kelly Wesener, executive director of Housing and Dining. “If we notice concerns, we address them immediately and we are always looking for ways to enhance the safety and security of our students. That’s our number one priority.”

Housing and Dining is currently testing a pilot program in Grant South, requiring each resident to swipe their NIU OneCard at the front desk, in addition to the front door, to gain access to the residence hall after 11 p.m. This project will be compared to other security measures in different residence halls to see which proves most effective, Wesener said.

Police officers are present in the residence halls throughout the entire day. Each residence hall also houses a Community Safety Center, which acts to provide police officials space to conduct their work within the residence hall.

“Most universities do not have such an outstanding model, and many assume that we are like the rest,” Wesener said.

On the night of Monday, March 23, the Northern Star put NIU’s residence hall security to the test, sending a reporter to each residence hall to attempt to gain access to the facility using a minimal level of compliance.

The reporter was able to successfully gain access to two of NIU’s 10 residence halls, both by the same factors: busy or distracted door attendants, and being directed to another desk to be verified for entry. The reporter was able to make it past security in both situations.

It was discovered that a OneCard was rarely needed to gain access to a residence hall, as it only required one other card-carrying individual to open the door for anyone behind them to gain access to the building.

Grant South’s pilot program proved successful, though, as the reporter was unable to make it past the levels of security.

Students have mixed opinions on the security measures being taken by Housing and Dining.

“I do feel safe in the dorms because I believe we have enough security, and the community advisers make rounds, and there are other people living around you,” freshman accountancy major, Nisha Patel, said. Patel added that she feels Housing and Dining does take a reasonable amount of security measures, but that the measures taken could be more effective

Karl Ray, a freshman music education major, does not share Patel’s confidence in residence hall security.

“I feel safe on my floor, but if I’m just walking around the lobby, I don’t feel safe because I feel like anyone can walk in and I’m pretty sure that anybody does walk in,” Ray said. He clarified his feelings by stating that he has seen attendants who do not check identification, fall asleep, or fail to even be present.