Saying No to Surveillance Cameras in Dorm Hallways

In the span of 24 hours, a multitude of activities can happen in the hallways of a college dorm. Among other common occurrences, students can chat with their friends, take the trash out and emerge from the bathrooms in just a towel with an accompanying shower caddy. On Saturday nights, especially on Cro Dance nights, this list may read differently. As students of the College, I imagine that most readers will be familiar with what I am referring to.

While discussions of using cameras in dorms is theoretical, it is still interesting to consider the implications. In either scenario, be it night or day, the use of surveillance cameras in dorms seems risky and a breach of privacy. Many students who do not live in singles, excluding those in common interest housing, feel more comfortable with talking on the telephone in the hallways if their roommate is in the room. The presence of a security camera during calls home to parents or friends would most likely cause students discomfort, even if the camera cannot “eavesdrop” or listen in like another human could. Even for mundane activities, like unlocking rooms, the feeling that a camera is forever watching you can be unsettling.

The integration of security cameras would also be unpopular among many parents, who place a great deal of trust in the safety of the College. The placement of a security camera in a space that is intended to feel like a home away from home signals levels of distrust, and that there is something to potentially be worried about. Of course, parents whose children are geographically far from them would want to ensure that their children are safe. This is naturally a good caution to have, but I do not think that there is any dangerous activity on campus that warrants the placement of cameras in dorm hallways. Sophie Sharps ’16 state, “I personally would say no to cameras in dorms because they are a huge expense that we can be spending elsewhere. I don’t feel threatened or unsafe in my hallway and I have not experienced vandalism, but that is just in my personal experience.”

Due to the layout of many dorms on campus, the technical details of placing cameras in dorm hallways would be tricky and expensive. For example, on the third floor of Katherine Blunt, there is a main hallway, but at the end of that hallway, there are separate hallways. I currently live in Freeman, where the layout is similar. In order to effectively cover one hallway of either dorm, there would have to be at least four cameras in place, five including the floor’s pantry or laundry room. For a dorm that has at least four floors, there would have to be at least sixteen cameras. The floors in Morrisson, although they are straight, have bathrooms that run through the middle of the hallway. As a result, there would have to be a set of security cameras for each “half.”

Of course, not all dorms follow such a layout. Knowlton, for instance, has one hallway on the second floor. Larrabee has one long hallway per floor (although there are smaller hallways that split from the main hallway). Regardless, to place security cameras in some dorms and not others would be ineffective. If cameras were to be implemented, all dorms would need to have them. Not doing so would most likely anger students, thereby creating unnecessary and unproductive tension and friction in the campus residential community.

While I oppose placing surveillance cameras in the dorms, I can understand why some students and faculty members would want them. Dorm charges can be difficult for students to pay for in addition to other expenses that might be of a higher priority, like books or food. Having the cameras in place would help to hold individuals accountable for their irresponsible actions, such as breaking exit signs or vandalizing walls. Considering the high costs of dorm damages in certain residence halls across campus, a security camera in place would help to relieve the anxiety of the unlucky person who no longer has a wallet or computer. I do not mean to delegitimize the criminal activities that have occurred on campus, but it comes down to personal responsibility.

Instead of placing responsibility on security cameras to “catch” guilty individuals, students should hold other students accountable for their actions. This would include talking to a dorm’s housefellow or to the College’s Honor Council. Although this may read as a naive or idyllic approach to countering theft and dorm damage, I believe that upholding a sense of privacy in a space that is intended to feel like a home should be protected. If one goal behind implementing security cameras is to increase safety for students, I would recommend investing in brighter street lamps first. •