A Feb. 5 editorial stated: "After a number of incidents ... the Office of Residence Life and the Association of Residence Hall Students have finally decided that something needs to be done. Last week the two organizations started talking about methods for making the dorms more secure . . . " The Collegian implies that ARHS and Residence Life were previously unaware of this very serious issue facing residents.

Please research the facts before making false claims that embarrass both of these organizations. You report that we "finally decided" to get "something" done, yet the Collegian has reported on safety issues on numerous occasions since September and quoted a member of ARHS in three separate articles. ARHS and Residence Life have been discussing the implementation of safety measures, such as a 24-hour card access for more than a year. Due to the efforts of these organizations, locking shower stall doors will be installed in the future.

ARHS advises residents to take the responsibility to protect themselves and their belongings. Twenty-four-hour lockdowns cannot replace common-sense precautions, such as locking one's door at night or preventing someone from "piggybacking" (allowing a non-resident to enter a building without swiping his or her own card). Additionally, the residence hall incidents occurred during lockdown hours and were perpetrated by building residents.