University Residence Halls

[ZipAlumn]

Last year it was Plinton and a police informant. Now it's Harry Collier (a convicted felon) and purse snatching. I am not sure what the answer is, or if there is really a problem with the dorms, but the University is starting to get a bad reputation concerning on campus crime and on campus housing. Today's Beacon Journal has this: http://www.ohio.com/mld/ohio/news/16025518.htmHopefully most of the people that commented on this online article were not University of Akron graduates because frankly most of their comments were just plain stupid. I spent three years in the dorms and I can see several sides of this issue. People that have served their time in prison shouldn't be discriminated against, however I think the University has an obligation to the students to make sure that the dorms are safe and that the students living in them are law abiding. The University can and should do a better job in this area.

[UA Fan]

Any type of crime resonates louder at an urban campus...the rural uni's have an advantage in this regard, esp. w/women...they're perceived as safer. I think it hurts our Lady Zips sports a lot in recruiting and I'm sure the opposing coaches try to play it up to their advantage. As a student I ran into panhandlers a couple times but otherwise had no problems. I never lived in the dorms at UA so I can't speak to that.

[goodthts]

Legally, the ex-con should be able to live in the dorms and live a free and fullfilling life. No issue there. Ethically, if you had a son or daughter aged 17-18 would you be comfortable with them living, the first time out of your house and into the "real world", learning life's basics from a 40+ year old ex and current criminal?!? Besides being creepy its just wrong. The university should have done some research and paired him up with another non-traditional student who was 30+ yrs old. True Freshman/Sophmores are still children. As such, they need their peers to mature with, not some grizzled ex-con to "show them the ropes." Everyone deserves a fair shake in life. This ex-felon guy does deserve a 2nd chance. University life did provide that. It also provided a criminal who was not reformed easy access to distractions.The university should of handled his placement better AND he shouldn't have committed more crimes. The living situations in the dorms should try to place like people (i.e. age, sex) with like people. ~Chris