New Handbook Available Soon
A photo of the current student boundaries
August 29, 2016
The old handbook is in effect until the new one is published on the website; but worry not, the Department of Education has just given back our handbook!
Now Executive Director Germain McConnell just needs to read over it and make sure their changes match up with ours. “He is anticipating getting that out, with the revisions, pretty quickly… hopefully within the next week,” said Mrs. Kelly Brown, director of Academic Affairs.
Mrs. Brown also said the revisions made will be highlighted so students won’t have to reread the entire handbook just to know which changes have been made.
Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk about what’s really on all of our minds; boundaries. The boundaries, as stated in the handbook, are as follows:
“Students leaving the residence halls to go to a location on campus during the academic day are not required to sign out but are restricted to the inside of the fenced perimeter of the MUW campus, Pohl Hall and the MUW tennis courts until dusk.
“After dusk, students may not go beyond or north of Mary Wilson, Subway, or Stark unless attending tutorials in Hooper Science building or Shackelford Hall or having expressed permission. At no time are MSMS students allowed in or to be around the outside of MUW dorms. NOTE: For safety, stay in well lighted areas while walking on campus at night. In general, the following areas are off limits:
(1) restrooms or rooms meant for the opposite gender
(2) roofs
(3) all railroad tracks and their rights of way except to cross going to Shackelford and the Performing Arts Center
(4) rooms or offices that are locked or should be locked
(5) private property without invitation or approval of the property owner (6) any off campus location without proper sign out
(7) MUW Residence Halls”
There is also supposed to be a map of the boundaries posted in both residence halls, which should not have changed from last year. However, there are several areas within the bounds that administration are trusting us not to be without needing to be specifically told because they do not have the best lighting.
Mrs. Brown said that “For safety, [Dr. McConnell] doesn’t want students hanging out in the really dark areas,” and to be wary of the places that may seem just a bit more sketchy than the others.
Thomas A. Robinson • Aug 30, 2016 at 4:18 pm
A few days ago, at approximately 10:00 p.m., I was about 1/2 a block from the MUW boundary fence. As a reference point for my path of travel, while on campus facing West, the roadway between MUW Mathematics and Science building (Nissian Auditorium) on the right side and the Nursing school on the left side. Prior to reaching this area, a grey vehicle had passed by me approximately three times.
When I first noticed the vehicle, it had turned to travel South away from my position, but immediately turned around to travel North toward my position. I observed this vehicle to contain at least two people. As the vehicle passed by me, I perceived the occupants to be interested in my presence. The person seated in the front passenger side was Black and had long busy hair. This person was unrecognizable to me as either male or female. I did not observe any identifying traits about the driver of the vehicle. Minutes later, as I approached MUW campus, the same vehicle passed through my direction of travel for a second time.
Moments later, as I approached the T-intersection to cross the street and enter MUW campus through a pedestrian gate, I encountered a Black male walking along the roadway. I perceived that I saw him before he saw me. A corner with hedge bushes separated us. It is possible that I surprised him. The available lighting and angle of travel favored my position. As we crossed paths, he stated that I had dropped the food tray (White, face down, and slightly open) laying in the road, and I should pick it up. Without stopping or breaking a stride, I replied to him that the tray wasn’t mine. His comment was not necessary or appropriate. I perceived his comment to be a delaying tactic until the grey car came back through the area.
Seconds later, that grey car (station wagon type vehicle) appeared for a third time along my direction of travel. The Black male entered the vehicle. At that point, the two questions that came to my mind were: (1.) Had the occupants of that vehicle been looking for that person all along and thought I was him? (2.) Had the person walking previously been riding in the grey vehicle when it first approached me, and did he exit the vehicle to walk along the roadway. These were two questions that I could not answer.
However, I knew with almost certain that the person had no valid reason to state that I had dropped the food tray (white, face-down, and slightly open) laying in the road and I should pick it up. Practically speaking, he would not have been in a position to observe such an action from me.
Remember, a corner with hedge bushes separated us. It is possible that I surprised him. The available lighting and angle of travel favored my position. My perception became that I had been targeted for some type of abnormal activity. This situation aroused me to perceive that a very suspicious occasion had occurred. The suspicious activity has been reported to the MUW police department.