Our suites have their own bathrooms, and the floors are coed, so that's not a problem. However, if you don't live in my building, you need to be escorted by someone who does. That means that your card will get you in your building, and no other. If you have a friend in another building, they have to let you in and walk you around. It's supposed to keep strangers out.

And, I realize that people will be "carrying stuff in", but that isn't why they are propping the doors. They 1. don't want to go get their guests or 2. don't want to have to remember to carry their ID card.

And this leads to the situations listed above. You'd think people would put personal safety over the inconvenience of having to swipe a card before you can get in a building... but apparently not.

Of course not. This is twenty-first century mother-huggin' AMERICA. Personal convenience trumps absolutely everything.

That's great stuff! I may have to steal that line for my own personal use sometime in the near future.

Well, what about the classrooms? Would they be locked down? I mean, even in this shooting, only two of the deaths were from a dorm room, and besides one can lock their own doors in a dorm room, so that already adds a layer of safety. You could argue that one would shoot through the doors or something, but they could probably do that to the main door if they are anything like the ones we have here.

Now, I personally don't find it to be that huge of an inconvenience having to use the keycards. Now, before I had a cell phone (I was a late comer there), it was a bit harder to see my friends, especially if it were to be something on the fly. But I guess that wouldn't be too big a problem for most people.

Even so, it would still be relatively easy for someone to mimic a resident and get in, because as far as any student knows, that person could just be a resident (unless everyone knows each other, which isn't always the case, at least not here). After all, it could be very well be the case that the person legitmately left his keycard in the room.

Now, not that I think that this is the case here, but there are times when inconvenience trumps personal safety. These are times when the inconvenience is too hight to warrant the gains in personal safety. An example would be driving. Over 40,000 people die a year here from car accidents. One could cut that number down to zero if you banned driving, but that would not be that great over all for us. But like I said, the inconvenience in having to carry a card isn't that great, and the possible gains in personal safety, might very well justify it.

I'm not so worried about a shooter getting in the building... it's the other creeps that get in. People who are there to do drugs, rape, or just live in my building. This is not so much a danger in a classroom where there are lots of people around.

Also, the RA's are supposed to know every person who lives in their building. We're supposed to know who doesn't belong here. Does that mean the residents don't let people in? No. However, there are some people who you know don't live in your building -- especially since this is a close knit community -- and a locked door will keep them out, and the residents don't let them in.

Besides, even if a shooter could just shoot in one of the glass doors, that gives me or someone else time to 1. get in a locked room and 2. call the police. If the shooter can just walk in, they can open fire on people before anyone hears what's going on.

You have my blanket permission, no charge - just be sure to give me credit.

I haven't read all the comments, so I apologize if I am repeating what has already been said.

I don't think that I consider what is going on at your school a "lock down." The university that I attended (I started more than ten years ago, eek!!) had the policy at the time. Your key card could gain you access to common areas--and your own suite, but not other suites.

The policy just seems to make sense to me. If you don't live there, why do you need to be there? If it is to visit someone, they can let you in.

They were calling it a "lock down" because all of the dorms would be locked down 24/7 which is unusual for our campus. It definitely makes more sense than allowing any and everyone wander about the building... but it is too inconvenient for the residents to pull their cards out and swipe them to get in the building rather than just pulling the doors open.