PAGE 4
THE TWIG
FEBRUARY 9, 1977
Role of security guards disputed, coufused
by Debbie Doss
The topic of security on
the Meredith campus has been
much discussed recently as
the outbreak of strange men
on the halls, cut screens, and
doors propped open after
closing hours continues.
The fact that a naked man
could roam the Meredith
campus for hours, enter
several rooms, and then
vanish without being seen by a
Meredith guard has continued
to be bothersome.
In an interview this week,
Dan Shattuck, chief of
security, explained some of
the factors that contributed to
the difficulty of his job, and
sought to answer criticisms
that he and his ten-man force
are ineffectual in keeping
Meredith students safe.
As for the reason that
guards have not been able to
apprehend the reported
strange nren on campus,
Shattuck explained simply,
“Most of the times, the calls
are too late. If girls would
remain calm, and call as soon
as possible, we might be able
to catch these men.” By the
time security receives notice
(k the presence of unusual
characters on campus, he
said, the intruders have been
able to leave the campus
entirely.
The problems of security,
according to Shattuck, do not
involve the training of his men
or their ability to ke^ the
campus safe, but are directly
tied to the expectations that
both faculty and students have
of the guards.
“A very small percentage
of our time is spent really
dealing with security.”
Shattuck asserted. He ex
plained that members of the
Meredith security force spend
most of their time doing
courtesies for students and
faculty.
“We are expected to be
plumbers, electricians,
mechanics, janitors, and
everything elM,” he said.
“Sometimes people even call
on us just to be a personal
delivery service.”
Shattuck does not see such
things as making repairs in
the boiler room and fishing
contact lenses out of drains as
part of the duties of his force.
“I’d like to see us
separated from building and
maintenance,” he said. “Let
them take care of the boiler,
the plumbing and electricity.
My men don’t know anything
about making these repairs,
and I’d rather not have the
responsibility.”
Another problem that
Shattuck sees is the way he
and his force are expected to
act as errand boys and taxi
drivers. ‘‘We don’t mind
jumping off a car that won’t
start or picking up girls who
are stranded off campus,” he
noted, “but we really do this
as a favor. It’s not a part of
our job.”
He thinks the way guards
are sometimes treated by
students who call for help in
such situations and then
complain because it takes the
guaM a while to arrive is
unfair.
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One recent incident, when
a guard went to pick up girls
stranded at a local shopping
center in the cold weather,
and then was cursed for not
arriving right away, has been
cited as an instance of this
misunderstanding of a
guard’s role. The same girls
reported that the guard had
been drinking on the job.
“My men have denied all
such reports as these,”
Shattuck said: “I feel that the
truth was greatly
exaggerated.”
Much of the security
force’s time at night is spent
ushering girls coming in on
SDH or lates into the dorms.
Shattuck suggested that
perhaps this procedure is also
part of someone else’s job, not
his.
“I think these
housemothers should be here
for something other than to
complain,” he stated. “They
ought to handle things in ttu
dorms.”
Proposing a system in
which a resident advisor in
each dorm would be
responsible for letting
students in her dorm after
closing hours, Shattuck said
that a buzzer system could be
used to call the guards in case
of a student being a problem.
Because no job
description for security of
ficers seems to exist and
because the force takes
directions from three major
college offices - those of Dean
White, Mr. Baker, and Dr.
Mason - it is perhaps difficult
for the guards at Meredith to
know exactly what their
duties are. However, Dan
Shattuck has his own idea of
what the job should entail.
First, Shattuck believes
that in any emergency
situation, the guards should be
available to help. This would
include almost any cir
cumstances on campus in
which immediate help was
needed.
But the main duty of a
security guard at Meredith,
according to Shattuck, should
be patrolling of grounds and
looking for anything unusual
and potentially harmful to
residents.
“Standing around is fine,”
he said, “if you’re alert.”
Is it also the responsiblity
of the guards to censure
students for conduct on
campus? Many girls have
complained that guards have
embarrassed them when they
were with their boyfriends
parked in front of Johnson
Hall by tapping on the window
and insisting that they come
inside, or in Cate Center, by
disapproving of physical
contact.
In a certain sense,
Shattuck does see this as a
legitimate duty of a g^rd.
“We’re not here to discipline
girls,” he said, “but we have
been asked by students to stop
couples from rolling around
on the floor in Cate Center.”
“We ask them to act like
ladies and gentlemen,” he
stated. “We’re here to remind
them of the rules.”
One final aspect of the
security problems Meredith
seems to be experiencing,
according to Shattuck, is that
girls don’t take enough
responsibility for their own
safety. The fact that girls are
leaving doors open at night
and are even pro{^ing outside
entrances open after closing
hours indicates that they
“don’t take much thought or
responsibility when it comes
to security,” he said.
pCareer Planning Notes
I Career Panel Discussion
Interested in hearing
professional women discuss
their careers? Attend the
career panels held for Career
Planning Seminar students.
Many of the panelists are
Meredith graduates. Notices
of these panels will be posted
in the TWIG. On Monday,
February 14, students will
hear from Governor Hunt’s
deputy press secretary, a
learning lab coordinator, an
accountant, and an attorney.
The panel will be in the
Faculty Lounge, Cate Center,
from 3:00 to 3:50 p.m. and is
open to all interested students.
Education Careers With
The Federal Government
the Raleigh Federal Job
Information Center is now
accepting applications for
professional career positions
in education at GS 5, 7, and 9
levels.
Seniors interested in the
field may qualify for positions
with such feder^ agencies as
the Bureau of Indian Affairs,
the Bureau of Prisons, the
Government of D.C., Job
Corps, Department of
Defense, U.S. Office of
Education, and the National
Institutes of Education.
No written examination is
required although for some
positions NTE scores may be
used to satisfy certain
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requirements. Filing Deadline
is February 28, 1977. Motc
information is available in the
Office of Career Services.
Summer Workshops On
Publishing Careers
This summer. New York
University will conduct an
intensive four week workshop
led by a faculty of outstanding
publishers in New York for
recent college graduates who
want to explore career
possibilities in book
publishing. Check the Career
bulletin board for information
request cards.
Dental Admission Test
Preparation Materials
The Divison of
Educational Measurements
provides renew materials free
of charge to candidates who
sign up to take the Dental
Admission Test. This is the
only method by which these
materials will be distributed.
The Division recommends
that candidates sign up early
for the test to ensure that they
receive a copy before the
supply is depleted.
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