Residential policies draw student complaints

Over Thanksgiving break, Residential Life conducted safety checks in dorm rooms across campus, confiscated items like knives, a sword and a tampon machine.

Res Life staff members who conducted the searches left notes in the rooms informing the students of the search and of the confiscated items.

When Andrew Niemann, psychology senior, returned from break, his a decorative knife from India and a stop sign he and his roommates hung in their room was gone.

Neiman said he won't be getting the stop sign back, which Res Life accused him of being in possession of illegally. He said Donna Adams, Carrolton Hall area director, confiscated it and gave it to University Police.

"I won't get the souvenir back until the end of the semester," Niemann said.

He met with Adams and she told him he should have reviewed the residential life handbook to see what objects are not allowed in the dorms.

"They said it was a weapon, but it's blunt," he said. "It doesn't really have a blade. I don't understand the difference between this and a kitchen knife, which could be more of a weapon than what I have."

Niemann thinks Residential Life should have informative sessions for students to know what they can and cannot have in their room.

Nicholas Courtney, philosophy senior, almost had something confiscated too. Adams told him she would have to take away a prop sword in his room, but Courtney said he convinced her it was not a weapon or dangerous.

"The problem I had wasn't that she was taking things because I understand Res Life puts out those rules, and they have the right to take things during safety checks for fire hazards and other things," he said. "It was more of the manner in which it was done. I felt I was not treated as an adult and someone who is paying for a room and a residence. I felt I was being treated in a patronizing way."

Res Life also confiscated a tampon dispenser from John Valdespino's, music industries studies junior, room. Holly Combs, English writing sophomore, said she and Anjle Coleman, vocal performance freshman, placed the item in Valdespino's room as a joke.

"They want to charge the whole suite with possession of stolen property and vandalism when they don't have proof of this," she said. "But we didn't steal it, it was being thrown out. They were even suggesting we get a lawyer, but I'm just hoping it gets dropped before it gets to that point."

Craig Beebe, interim director of Residential Life, said students were made aware of the safety check procedures with fliers that were posted on their doors.

"We tried to be very clear," Beebe said. "We said, ‘This is when we're doing them.' We said, ‘Please make sure your room is in compliance with university policy and state law and local law.'"

Eduardo Gonzalez can be reached at ejgonzal@loyno.edu