USC officials limit access to Bovard
Students must now get clearance by showing their USC ID to get inside.
Dan Loeterman
Issue date: 4/16/07 Section: News
- Page 1 of 1
USC officials are restricting access to the Bovard Administration Building in response to a sit-in staged at President Steven B. Sample's Bovard office on Tuesday by the activist group SCALE.
The move ensures that neither Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation nor any other student group will have the same opportunity, at least in the near future.
Department of Public Safety officers have been stationed outside the entrance to Bovard during the day since Wednesday. Faculty members entering the building have been asked to show their USC ID, and students are required to be on a pre-approved list before they are allowed inside.
It is unclear how the security measures will work. Todd Dickey, senior vice president for administration and general counsel, said that the system will operate with a list.
DPS Chief Carey Drayton, however, said officers would not be ordered to prevent students from entering Bovard unless it was clear they were going to make a disturbance.
The new security measures will continue until further notice, said Dickey, who added that the decision to post the DPS officers was made directly in response to SCALE's actions last week.
"I did it because (13) students took over the president's office on Tuesday," Dickey said. "We are a business. It is the only choice we have."
Yet the new security measures left some students wondering if the university administration has gone too far in its attempt to maintain order.
"I think it's ridiculous. It's a sign of disregard for student freedom and student expression," said Eduardo Virgen, a senior majoring in American studies and ethnicity who has previously worked in Bovard. Virgen attended SCALE's protest last week, but is not affiliated with the group.
Drayton, who was consulted about the decision, said the measures are a precaution and not an attempt to quell free speech.
Drayton said he is not sure how long the security measures will stay in place but that the officers could be gone from their Bovard posts as soon as today, depending on how administrators decide to proceed.
"It was never the intent to stop someone from expressing their freedoms. When emotions run high, you need a cooling-off period," Drayton said.
"All we were doing is attempting to stop these people, unknown, from coming in to do something to the occupants of that building," he said. "The only thing in the post order is to stop and identify yourself and let us know where you're going."
Drayton also said security on campus would not be adversely affected by the officers working at Bovard because they are working on overtime.
The move ensures that neither Student Coalition Against Labor Exploitation nor any other student group will have the same opportunity, at least in the near future.
Department of Public Safety officers have been stationed outside the entrance to Bovard during the day since Wednesday. Faculty members entering the building have been asked to show their USC ID, and students are required to be on a pre-approved list before they are allowed inside.
It is unclear how the security measures will work. Todd Dickey, senior vice president for administration and general counsel, said that the system will operate with a list.
DPS Chief Carey Drayton, however, said officers would not be ordered to prevent students from entering Bovard unless it was clear they were going to make a disturbance.
The new security measures will continue until further notice, said Dickey, who added that the decision to post the DPS officers was made directly in response to SCALE's actions last week.
"I did it because (13) students took over the president's office on Tuesday," Dickey said. "We are a business. It is the only choice we have."
Yet the new security measures left some students wondering if the university administration has gone too far in its attempt to maintain order.
"I think it's ridiculous. It's a sign of disregard for student freedom and student expression," said Eduardo Virgen, a senior majoring in American studies and ethnicity who has previously worked in Bovard. Virgen attended SCALE's protest last week, but is not affiliated with the group.
Drayton, who was consulted about the decision, said the measures are a precaution and not an attempt to quell free speech.
Drayton said he is not sure how long the security measures will stay in place but that the officers could be gone from their Bovard posts as soon as today, depending on how administrators decide to proceed.
"It was never the intent to stop someone from expressing their freedoms. When emotions run high, you need a cooling-off period," Drayton said.
"All we were doing is attempting to stop these people, unknown, from coming in to do something to the occupants of that building," he said. "The only thing in the post order is to stop and identify yourself and let us know where you're going."
Drayton also said security on campus would not be adversely affected by the officers working at Bovard because they are working on overtime.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 12
Athena Sunga and Shruti Pant
posted 4/15/07 @ 8:10 PM PST
Dear Fellow Trojans (Faculty, Students, Staff, Officials, and President Sample):
Following SCALE's protest last week, the need for FAIR TRADE was heightened, yet the repercussions were less than positive. (Continued…)
Chris
posted 4/15/07 @ 11:13 PM PST
This makes perfect sense to me, actually. It is making it harder for students to change policy, but it is not in any way preventing expression. Opinions can be voiced and protests can be staged without directly interfering with the day-to-day running of the University. (Continued…)
John
posted 4/16/07 @ 12:28 AM PST
Isn't it amusing how SCALE always accuses the University of buying products produced with sweatshop labor, yet when pressed when details can never get more specific? And in response the University can point out how it's actually a part of ~3 anti-sweatshop organizations that are actually stricter and have better oversight than the one that SCALE promotes? And now, thanks to them, my student org can't get Bovard access. (Continued…)
Ashok Kumar
posted 4/16/07 @ 7:28 AM PST
I am sure that is what students who have been organizing for seven years were doing wrong, calling it "sweat-free" instead of "fair-trade". I have read many a dumb thing in my life, but I have to say this one takes the cake. (Continued…)
Teresa (from SCALE)
posted 4/16/07 @ 7:43 AM PST
Thank you for your insightful comments.
The SCALE campaign is not a fair trade campaign. The sweat free and fair trade campaigns are quite dissimliar. (Continued…)
Ashok Kumar
posted 4/16/07 @ 7:46 AM PST
Just checked out the Facebook group. Sorry to harp on this but I have to reiterate that it is the dumbest group on facebook, bar-none. Even more then the one actually called "I live in poop":
http://wisc. (Continued…)
Andy Bunting
posted 4/16/07 @ 8:52 AM PST
If you want more details about SCALE, then come to our Q&A session on Wednesday, at 5pm in VKC 155, and hear some truth. Of course, it's quite possible that you won't even come, John, because it maybe satisfies you enough to post on the daily trojan website with a tone of great authority. (Continued…)
teresac
Teresa (from SCALE)
posted 4/16/07 @ 10:06 AM PST
sorry I meant 5 pm, not 7 pm for the teach-in on Wednesday
Dirk De Durr
posted 4/16/07 @ 10:26 AM PST
SCALE folks typify the problem with the left in this country. Free speech is granted wholesale by USC, such that you can demonstrate, and there is dialogue. (Continued…)
Shruti Pant
posted 4/16/07 @ 12:08 PM PST
Two things must be mentioned before we illustrate our point.
Firstly, I (Shruti) HAVE WORKED with the World Bank AND Sweatshop factories in Thailand and Indonesia, where I have had my fair share of first hand experience talking to and understanding the needs of the people who work there. (Continued…)
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