Lessons for Students and Parents on Campus Violence

Our oldest son has lived in a dormitory at UCLA for the past two years and our middle son is moving into a dormitory at UCLA next month. I know that the security system there is excellent, but I didn’t realize that the system is unusual. I assumed, naively, that all college dormitories employed similar security measures.

I’ve never heard a student complaint regarding the card entry access system; the students accept it as a fact of life. My son was an access monitor for one year and the multiday training for the position was excellent, covering any crisis that the student may be called upon to handle.

I know that the access monitors are policed and arranging for someone to cover part of your shift, so that you can catch some sleep, can and does result in dismissal from the position. I’ve jokingly told people that a UCLA dormitory is the only place I’ve ever had to surrender my driver’s license in order to use the bathroom.

After reading about the murder in the Lehigh dormitory room, I will never again joke about the matter and wish to commend UCLA and the students for their state-of-the-art security system and compliance with the same.

BERYL WILLIAMS

Corona