In 2014, Ole Miss was ranked the second safest school in the Southeastern Conference and the 17th safest school in the country by University Primetime.
Ole Miss is one of the few universities that requires guests to sign into the residence halls with a form of ID and checkout before a designated time. Students’ safety is a main priority of the Ole Miss Housing Department.
On game days, community assistants and community desk assistants working in the residence halls experience a large flow of visitors. Hannah Lucas, a freshman community desk assistant, said checking visitors in and out of the building can be daunting.
“With so many people coming into the building to be checked in, it can get a little overwhelming especially when guys are trying to sneak in,” Lucas said. “Depending on the game, it isn’t too terrible, but the Alabama and Georgia games were rough.”
CAs and CDAs work with the University Police Department to ensure students’ safety. On game days, there is an increase in calls made to UPD.
During the Alabama game this year, one of the most attended home games this season, UPD received 237 calls for service, according to Police Chief Tim Potts. These include calls from residence halls, foot patrols, security checks and patrol logs.
Lucas said when an incident occurs in a residence hall, a system is followed. CDAs call the CA on duty, and then it is up to the discretion of that CA if the incident requires the involvement of UPD or other officials.
“I would hate to be a CA because they are the ones we call when there is something going on, and they have to deal with it,” Lucas said. “Whether it is calling the police or anything else.”
A common issue residence halls have with students on game days is alcohol. Abby Crunk, a freshman community desk assistant, said it is not uncommon to see students visibly intoxicated in the residence halls on game days, despite the university’s strict no-alcohol policy in the buildings.
“I see a lot of underage drinking, which is a bit unsettling,” Crunk said. “I’ve seen quite a lot of fake IDs, too, even from CAs.”
Another issue residence halls experience on game days and most weekends as well is students trying to bypass the check-in desk with their visitors.
“It is annoying that, for example, I have to check in my sister to go to my room, and she has to leave before 12 on a weekday night or 2 a.m. on a weekend night,” sophomore resident Erin Kuhlmann said. “However, I understand that the school is trying to keep us safe, and I think they do a good job doing that.”
Family members often like to come visit their student in the residence halls on game days. Crunk said that even parents complain about the check-in process, when it is designed to ensure their child’s safety.
“I’ve had many parents complain about the check-in process,” Crunk said. “It’s frustrating because it is only for the safety of their child and other residents.”
The mission of Ole Miss Student Housing is to contribute to the personal and academic growth of every student by ensuring a safe, encouraging and welcoming place to live.
“CAs and CDAs try to keep the residents safe and make sure that anyone who comes in the building that isn’t a resident gets checked in,” Lucas said. “Our top priority is the safety of the residents.”
