Community Council Update

On Tuesday, Jan. 18, Community Council met to continue brainstorming agenda topics for the spring semester and began conversations concerning the implementation of surveillance cameras on campus.

This week, after hearing from members of the Council who were not present last week, the Council broached the topic of surveillance cameras. Dean of the College and Community Council Co-Chair Shirley Collado explained the context in which the topic emerged. Toward the end of last year, as Community Council discussed “dorm damage, tree damages and thefts that have gone on… [there] was a question about whether or not cameras in any shape of form in any major location on campus would be something we should think about,” according to Collado.

Members of the Council had mixed feelings about the subject. Although contending that the members of the College community generally self-police and are trusting toward others, Tim Parsons, campus horticulturist, spoke about the reality of the world outside of our community.

“While we live in a tight-knit community, we are part of a larger scary world,” Parsons said.

He believed that surveillance cameras could be “another tool in the tool box” that can improve campus security.

Professor of American Studies and English & American Literatures Will Nash, brought up the question of how the surveillance would be used, especially if it would be used against students who engage in underage drinking.

“There is a gradation of how these tapes can be used,” Nash said, “If [the cameras] were to make things more secretive…I think there may be some blowbacks from that and would increase some of our problems.”

Student Government Association President Rachel Liddell ’15 was also concerned about the potential usage of these video tapes.

“I am really nervous about having control of my own image and [positively] portraying myself … I would really prefer if there were not images of me walking into dorms with alcohol on my hands. ”

Implementing surveillance cameras, however, would not be unprecedented in terms of controversial measures taken to increase campus security.

“Years ago, [when the card access system] was introduced, students were very distressed about having cards to access [buildings] and that the college would be able to read when people were going in and out,” Collado said. “But it is a huge advantage to us when something goes very wrong … It was a big decision when we [implemented the card access system], but now it is a pretty normal thing.”

Dean of Students Doug Adams compared the surveillance cameras with the card access system that has now become normal.

“[In public places] you expect to be on camera […] and it is a normal thing,” Adams said. “One of the things we proved with card access is that there is no intent to track [a student’s] behavior on a regular basis. [Having surveillance cameras] helps the community; it is there as a positive tool.”

Ben Bogin ’15 opposed the additional ways by which students can be monitored.

“You can be really tracked everywhere,” Bogin said, referencing cyber security and public video cameras. “But I don’t think that necessarily justifies adding one more place that people can track us.”

Collado concluded the discussion of surveillance cameras by stating that “it is a huge luxury for us to be having this conversation around the kind of parameters we want to look at as a community,” calling the discussion “important work for Community Council.”

The Community Council previously met last Monday to voice concerns and draft a list of discussion topics for the coming year. New  topics include crosswalk safety at night, dorm cleanout and weapon and ammunition storage on campus.