#HomelessAtHoward topic sparks discussion about dorm visitation

Recent events surrounding the trending topic #HomelessAtHoward have ignited discussion about campus security and dormitory visitation.

A Howard University sophomore, Jawanza Ingram, was kicked out of the newly co-ed dormitory, the Bethune Annex. Full details of the case have not been disclosed. However, Ingram said in an online Facebook statement: “On the night of November 2nd around 11:45 PM, I allowed some fellow Howard University students in through the side emergency door in the Annex, directly next to the front entrance to bring in my suite mate's birthday.” Ingram went on to say that he received a letter November 3 around 3 p.m. saying “your housing privileges have been revoked, and you have been deemed ineligible for housing starting November 2015 through July 2016, due to your violation of the Bethune Annex emergency exit.”

Arguments about whether or not Ingram was punished too harshly led to theories to prevent this situation from happening again. Some believe that if visitation policies weren’t so strict in Howard University dormitories, students like Ingram wouldn’t be influenced to sneak people in past security workers. Others believe these visitation policies should not be changed, as they help prevent outside threats from entering the buildings. These security concerns hit close to home for many who remember the sexual assault which occurred in the Bethune Annex dormitory three years ago

Photo via howard.edu

The afternoon of November 12, 2012 a local D.C. resident, DeMarco Myles, managed to get past security and into the room of a freshman woman. Myles forced himself onto her with a sharp weapon and sexually assaulted her.

The perimeter doors were secured with electric magnetic locks and a key card access system, and cameras monitored and recorded all entry and exit points during the time of the sexual assault, yet it was not enough to prevent the incident.

“I was standing in the middle of my room and he was in the doorway and there was a shock moment,” the victim said in an interview with the AFRO.com. After the incident, she refused to live in the dorm and instead moved off-campus with her dorm roommate.

Students are arguing that loosening visitation would not affect the chances of sexual assault in the dormitories. Some believe that the strict visitation rules don’t necessarily make them feel more safe.

“I think there are better ways to go about policing visitation,” Leila Nicholas, junior, said. “For instance, if we had campus wide visitation we could use the key cards to keep track of where every student was at each time of the day.”

Nicholas said with her suggestion, security would only have to worry about non Howard University students trying to sneak into dorms and cause harm.

“24 hour visitation at all dorms, except freshman dorms, would be a step up from what we have now,” Nicholas said.

According to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol, students that live in on-campus dormitories are 1.4 times more likely to be raped than students living off-campus. However, findings from the National Institute of Justice, Bureau of Justice Statistics show that among college women, 9 in 10 victims of rape and sexual assault knew their offender.

The direct correlation of visitation and sexual assault is not clear. However, it is certain that campus security is an important method in preventing assault. It is also important for students to understand that sexual offenders are not always outside threats. Often times, an offender can be a fellow resident or friend.

For information and resources on sexual assault, students can visit the Howard University Counseling Service website.

Whether or not visitation policies change, students are encouraged by Howard University administration to abide by the rules. Students with several infractions may have no choice but to be left #HomelessAtHoward.

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