Protect your dorm during the holiday vacation

With Christmas break just a few papers, projectsand finals away, thoughts drift toward packingup and going home to enjoy a month of reuniting with friends, shopping, eating good holiday food and, of course, celebrating Christmas.

Before it can happen though, a few precautionary measures must take place for students who live on campus. Those living in dorms must follow some procedures to prepare their living space for the holiday, for security and safety reasons.

Chief of Police Gary Sargent said, “I recommend that you make sure everything is secure in your room. Mark your property by engraving your driver’s license number on things. Secure anything that is left lying around.”

Each dorm has had a meeting covering information residents need regarding leaving for the holidays. Every room must be cleaned thoroughly, even cleaner than what is required for a normal room check.

Students need to make sure to follow the proper check-out procedures, which include being out of the dorm by 5 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 12. If returning to the same room, students may leave belongings in their rooms or apartments. If they are not returning, all possessions must be completely out of the room by that time.

In addition to cleaning and moving, security can be a concern during the break. Most students leave valuable things in their dorm rooms over the holiday. They simply trust that the items will still be there and in the same condition when dorms open up again in January.

Campus staff says that security over the holiday is taken seriously, but they also offer some advice for making sure things always remain as safe as possible.

“The dorms are locked down at 5 on the 12th,” Remschel resident director Elizabeth Lockwood said. “The campus police patrol throughout the holiday, and they come inside and check the buildings at night.”

Johnson resident assistant Ryan Hutsell said, “All the dorms are locked on a 24-hour basis so that no one can get into the dorm without an approved ID card. Even if you got in with your ID card, you couldn't get into any rooms because the dorm directors take up your room key.”

In addition to concerns about the security of the dorms, some students may wonder about leaving their bikes or cars on campus during the winter break.

For bikes, Sargent recommends using a sturdy U-shaped lock to properly secure the bike to the rack. He also said it is important for students to register their bikes with the campus police department so there is an improved chance of recovery if stolen.

Sargent also has suggestions on protecting cars.

“We urge people not to leave anything in their cars that would make them a target for burglary. That is one of the biggest problems on campus. People leave valuables in view, and people walk by and see them. Also, park in well-lit areas and put up valuables.”

Some may wonder about the resident directors who will be staying in the dorms over Christmas. Hutsell says that Johnson resident director, Gilda Traywick, walks through the dorm at least twice a week to make sure everything is running smoothly. Lockwood says she does that as well.