(NAT SOUND – DOOR UNLOCKING)
IF YOU’VE BEEN WALKING AROUND SOUTH CAMPUS LATELY, YOU MIGHT HAVE NOTICED A COUPLE OF NEW QUIRKS AT VARIOUS BUILDINGS.
KRESGE HALL, WHICH HAS HAD ITS LETTERS REMOVED AND NOW REPLACED WITHIN THE LAST FEW MONTHS, NOW REQUIRES STUDENTS TO SCAN THEIR WILDCARDS TO GET IN. MANY OTHER BUILDINGS ALSO EITHER REQUIRE A WILDCARD FOR ACCESS OR HAVE THEIR DOORS LOCKED ENTIRELY OUTSIDE OF CERTAIN HOURS.
A RECENT EMAIL TO MEDILL COMMUNITY MEMBERS REVEALED THE DEPTH AND SCOPE OF THESE SECURITY MEASURES, AS WELL AS WHY THEY WERE NECESSARY.
“IN ADDITION TO THE RECENT INCIDENTS OF THEFT AND VANDALISM AT MEDILL, AND ELSEWHERE ON CAMPUS, AN INDIVIDUAL UNAFFILIATED WITH NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY ENTERED A PRIVATE MEETING IN KRESGE AND MADE THREATENING REMARKS TO THE FACULTY, STAFF, AND STUDENTS IN THE ROOM. NUPD WAS CALLED AND OFFICERS ESCORTED THE INDIVIDUAL OFF CAMPUS.”
THIS HAS LED TO NEW SECURITY MEASURES AT KRESGE, HARRIS HALL, MCCORMICK TRIBUNE CENTER, ANNIE MAY SWIFT HALL, FISK HALL, AND UNIVERSITY HALL. THERE IS ALSO A SOUTH CAMPUS SECURITY GUARD NOW, SECURITY CAMERAS WILL BE INSTALLED, AND NUPD HAS BEEN ASKED TO COME TO THE MEDILL SCHOOL TO CONDUCT ACTIVE VIOLENCE TRAINING.
SO WHAT DO THE STUDENTS — WHO WERE MOSTLY KEPT IN THE DARK OUTSIDE OF THE FEBRUARY 18 EMAIL — HAVE TO SAY ABOUT THE NEW MEASURES?
ASHER SMITH-FRANK: “I JUST WOULDN’T EXPECT THAT HERE. I DON’T KNOW. I WOULDN’T EXPECT THAT HERE. THAT’S ACTUALLY KIND OF CRAZY.”
LEXIE JORDAN: “IT IS PRETTY SURPRISING BECAUSE ESPECIALLY AS A PRIVATE UNIVERSITY AND ONE AS ELITIST AS NORTHWESTERN IS, WE’VE HAD TWO OR THREE INCIDENCES JUST THIS YEAR LIKE THAT’S THAT WE KNOW OF. IT’S SAD AND IT’S SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE A LITTLE BIT BETTER TAKEN CARE OF THAN IT IS RIGHT NOW.”
SELENA KUZNIKOV: “OBVIOUSLY, IT’S WRONG FOR PEOPLE TO BE TAKING DOWN THE LETTERS, BUT THAT’S NOT SOMETHING THAT MIGHT HAVE AN ULTERIOR MOTIVE. THAT’S JUST KIDS BEING KIDS.” BUT WHEN TALKING ABOUT VANDALISM INSIDE THE BUILDINGS: “I THINK THAT’S CONCERNING. MEDILL AND THE UNIVERSITY SHOULD BE TAKING STEPS TO FIGURE OUT WHO DID IT.”
THE MEASURES — AND THE VARIOUS ACTIONS THAT HAVE CAUSED THEM — HAVE ALSO LED TO SOME FEAR AMONG THE STUDENT BODY.
“IT DOESN’T FEEL GOOD. THE ONLY WORD I HAVE IS SURPRISED. ESPECIALLY SINCE I’M IN MEDILL, IT’S LIKE, I DON’T KNOW IF I’M SITTING IN LECTURE HALL EVERY MONDAY WITH THE PERSON WHO DID THAT, SAID SMITH-FRANK.
“IT’S ALREADY BEEN A COUPLE OF DAYS. AND I HAVEN’T HEARD ABOUT THIS UNTIL RIGHT NOW,” SAID KUZNIKOV. “IF MEDILL DOESN’T TELL THEIR STUDENTS ABOUT THIS, THEN HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO TAKE CARE OF OURSELVES? HOW ARE WE SUPPOSED TO WATCH OUT FOR OURSELVES AND OUR FRIENDS?”
LILY OGBURN, ONE OF THE ASG SENATORS FOR MEDILL, TALKED ABOUT POTENTIAL ACTION STUDENT GOVERNMENT COULD TAKE.
“IT’S DEFINITELY POSSIBLE THAT LEGISLATION WOULD BE ON THE TABLE AND MAYBE EVEN LOOKING INTO LEGISLATION ABOUT WHAT WAS THE CONCERN? LIKE, IS THERE A SECURITY CONCERN HERE THAT THIS WAS ABLE TO HAPPEN AND THAT VANDALISM HAS HAPPENED CONSISTENTLY IN FISK HALL SO YEAH, IT’S DEFINITELY ON THE TABLE.”
ROB BROWN, THE DIRECTOR OF DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION, APPRECIATED THE SERIOUSNESS WITH WHICH PEOPLE WERE TAKING THE SITUATION.
“JUST IN TERMS OF INITIAL RESPONSES. I’VE BEEN, I’VE REALLY APPRECIATED HOW SERIOUSLY PEOPLE HAVE TAKEN IT AND, YOU KNOW, DESPITE, YOU KNOW, POTENTIALLY NOT HAVING ALL THE INFORMATION THAT WE MIGHT WANT:
BROWN ALSO MENTIONED THE IMPORTANCE OF STAYING TRANSPARENT ON THE PART OF THE ADMINISTRATION.
BROWN SAID THE SCHOOL WANTS TO “MAKE SURE THERE’S CLARITY OR AS TO WHAT IS HAPPENING, AND THEN ALSO TRYING TO GET A SENSE OF IF ANYONE WAS KIND OF AROUND AND HAS INFORMATION TO SHARE. AND THEN KIND OF OUR NEXT STEP IS TO KIND OF COMMUNICATE MORE BROADLY TO THE STUDENTS. BUT IDEALLY, WE’RE HOPING TO SHARE MORE TANGIBLE ACTION STEPS TIED TO WHAT’S HAPPENED”
HOWEVER, SOME STUDENTS AREN’T SURE IF THAT’S ENOUGH. TAKE JADE THOMAS, A MEDILL SOPHOMORE.
“I WOULD FEEL BETTER ABOUT THE SITUATION IF I KNEW FOR SURE IT WASN’T A HATE CRIME. BUT WE DON’T KNOW. SO I WOULD RATHER KNOW WHY SOMEONE DID THAT.” “I DON’T WANT TO SAY THERE IS SOMETHING INTENTIONAL ABOUT THAT. BUT I ALSO DON’T WANT TO LEAN INTO THE IDEA THAT IT MIGHT BE A COINCIDENCE BECAUSE ISSUES OF RACE CONTINUE TO PERSIST NOT ONLY IN THIS COUNTRY BUT ALSO IN THIS INSTITUTION.”
KUZNIKOV AGREES.
“I THINK THIS IS JUST ONE INSTANCE IN A LONG LINE OF ISSUES WITH MEDILL. AND A LONG LINE OF ISSUES WITH SUPPORTING STUDENTS OF COLOR AND STUDENTS OF DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS.”
DESPITE THIS, THE MEDILL COMMUNITY IS COMING BACK STRONG FROM THE INCIDENTS. PATTY LOEW, A PROFESSOR AT MEDILL, STOOD FIRM IN HER BELIEF THAT DESPITE THREATS, THE JOURNALISM COMMUNITY SHOULD STAY STRONG.
THE FACT THAT OUR BUILDING IS OPEN, I THINK, REFLECTS THE KIND OF CLIMATE WE’RE TRYING TO CREATE IN MEDILL. IT’S A PLACE OF IDEA EXCHANGES. IT’S A PLACE OF PEOPLE TRYING TO AMPLIFY VOICES THAT ARE OFTEN SILENCED. IT’S A PLACE THAT, YOU KNOW, HAS PLEDGED ITSELF TO NOTIONS OF SOCIAL JUSTICE. AND I DON’T THINK THAT SOMEBODY COMING IN AND VIOLATING THAT SHOULD MAKE US CHANGE.
LOEW SAYS THAT DESPITE ALL THE THREATS JOURNALISM FACES — BOTH TANGIBLE AND INTANGIBLE — THE PROFESSION CAN REMAIN A BASTION OF GOODNESS.
THIS ACT ISN’T GOING TO CHANGE THAT. YOU KNOW, WE’RE STILL GOING TO BE FEARLESS. WE’RE STILL GOING TO WRITE BOLDLY. AND WE JUST HAVE TO STAY THE COURSE.”
AND STAYING THE COURSE IS PART OF WHAT THIS STATION IS ALL ABOUT.
FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M BRENDAN PREISMAN.
