While most incoming freshmen spend their time before college fantasizing about life without curfews and wondering if classes will leave ample time for socializing, their parents are mulling over more legitimate concerns. The naïve minds of the pre-college students envision college as a utopia. Once classes begin and work piles up, brutal reality strikes again.
Last fall semester a handful of unfortunate students were faced with tribulations that never would be expected from a close-knit student body as that of Pace. Expensive personal belongings were stolen in Mortola Library. Most of the objects taken were apple products like Macbooks and iPhones.
Is the dream of being able to leave your stuff while you get up to make a copy or use the bathroom entirely too far fetched?
Pace’s Student Government Association (SGA), security department and Mortola Library staff are in the process of working together to install cameras around the library in hopes of making this dream come true.
“The idea for the installation of cameras was initially in response to having the library open 24 hours a day,” said University Director of Safety and Security Vincent Beatty. “After that, there were some thefts that occurred.”
The later occurrences of theft are what drove SGA to further implement the installation.
“We hope to put a total of 15 cameras in the library,” said Executive Vice President of SGA Charlie Link. “They will be in high traffic areas like the stairs, wings and entrance.”
In addition to installing cameras in the library, the plans for all new buildings include cameras in the construction.
While Beatty promises the cameras will be a “good investment” and “act as a deterrent and investigative tool,” many students feel uneasy about being watched over.
“In some spots they would be alright, like the entrance and exits,” said junior finance major Michael Stallone. “I think a lot of students go to the library not just for work, but to get away from everything as well. I’d rather not do work, or try to relax, feeling like someone is watching me.”
Since the library poses as a haven for students looking to escape the raucousness of campus, the installation of cameras could potentially lessen this beneficial quality and be mistaken as an invasion of privacy. Seeing that the library is technically a public place for students to utilize, invasion of privacy is an irrational concern. Hopefully, the Pace student body will quickly accustom themselves to the installations so that the positive benefits of cameras will be more apparent than an unsettling feeling of being scrutinized.
While college has a reputation of being a “young adults’ playground”, it is also the first taste of reality for most. Unfortunately, mishaps like theft are ubiquitous. Pace’s faculty, staff and SGA are aware of this and are working diligently to make the time of our lives a safe one, as well.