As a public institution, UNC campus buildings should be available not only to students, but to the community at large.
But public accessibility cannot and should not be favored over the safety and security of the students who specifically pay to use campus facilities for legitimate reasons.
Last week, a meeting hosted by the Student Bar Association saw more than 70 concerned law students come together to discuss issues relating to safety in law school facilities on campus.
The reasons for the meeting were in response to a Feb. 3 incident in which Department of Public Safety officials received an anonymous phone call reporting harassment in the Kathrine R. Everett Law Library.
Among the suggestions posed by law students was a buzzer system for doors and a sign-in sheet for all users. Others recommended requiring individuals to present a OneCard starting at midnight — a regulation that is already in place at the Undergraduate Library.
The OneCard system at the UL works well because it allows members of the community to use the library during normal hours while still maintaining an emphasis on the safety and security of students.
This system ought be instated at the law library as well.
Detractors from the proposed change have pointed to possible class-based prejudices within the student community and uncomfortable feelings around homeless people.
These concerns are valid, but they distract from the real instances of trespassing that pose a risk to students. It’s perfectly reasonable to have some regulation of access to a building — even a public one.
