Recently, I came home to my room in the infamous Aston Hall only to discover that my keycard would not work. After three visits to the front desk and three reprogrammed keys later, I still could not get into my room.
University Police was then called to let me back into my room. However, when UPD arrived he only had metal keys, no plastic key cards. So he was of no help.
At this point, my roommate returned to discover that her key would not work either. Since the community facilitators were not on duty yet, we had to call many different numbers before we finally spoke to someone who could help us. After much waiting a building manager came and tried to open our door, to no avail.
To make this long story short, I had to wait three-and-a-half hours to get back into my room. I was finally let in after they drilled a hole through my door, then completely changed the door mechanism for the key cards. A problem like this seems avoidable, if: firstly, the Aston had metal key locks instead of key cards (which need constant reprogramming), so malfunctions like this can be solved much quicker with UPD; secondly, there had been a staff person on duty who could have been more helpful; and thirdly, if UPD carried emergency master keys (like they are supposed to). UPD has master keys for every other building that can be used to enter any room.
I was just glad that I was not in a rush to go somewhere for spring break and that my plane did not leave until Sunday. I would have been more than mad if I had scheduled a flight for Friday night and could not get into my room for my things. It was ridiculous that I had to wait three-and-a-half hours to get into my room and that they eventually had to drill a hole through my door, which is now covered with something that looks like wood glue.
If people could get into my room over spring break and steal my belongings, why is it that the residents have so many problems entering their own rooms?
-Rebecca Cairns
junior
