BY KAREN SCHWARTZ
Daily Staff Reporter
Published February 13, 2002
Until two weeks ago, it seemed perfectly normal to LSA junior Jennifer Dimovski to leave her apartment door unlocked when she was home and perfectly safe to yell "come in" when someone knocked.
More like this
Following two recent home invasion incidents in East Quad and West Quad Residence Halls, Dimovski said she has changed her ways.
"Lately we"ve locked the door all the time even when everyone"s home we lock the door," she said. "I think any time it"s brought to your attention it makes you think (I"m not) so naive to think "it"s not going to happen to me.""
Two suspects assaulted a female East Quad resident with a gun Feb. 2 and on Feb. 6 an uninvited man was discovered in a West Quad resident"s room.
Dimovski said she and other University students feel differently walking around Ann Arbor following the incidents. She said she now feels their safety has been compromised.
Students had mixed views concerning campus safety and whether or not that level of safety has changed since last week.
University Housing"s decision Monday to lock all residence hall doors throughout the day does not make Engineering sophomore Stephen Stamatis feel any safer. He said he feels the changes in security are more of an inconvenience than anything else.
"I think they"re wasting their time stepping up security because if anyone really wants to get in the building they"ll get in the building," Stamatis said.
"You stand by the door and wait for someone to exit or position yourself so you have a short walk to the door. People hold it for you people are courteous around here, they give people the benefit of the doubt."
LSA freshman and East Quad resident Laura Zahodne said she has not changed any of her habits following the incidents and still leaves her door unlocked when she is in her room.
"I feel my residence hall is safe. I feel safer now because there are always cops walking around now. And even though it happened here, it doesn"t seem like a reality very much because it"s not like it directly affected me. I never really saw any repercussions from it," Zahodne said.
Philip Khoury, an LSA freshman and resident of Baits Residence Hall, said he feels safe living in the residence hall because it is removed from central campus where the incidents took place.
"You feel secure when you"re not secure because (Baits) is so far out nobody"ll mess with you," he said.
Khoury said he believes the University is taking the necessary precautions to keep the campus safe by locking the residence halls.
Following the Feb. 2 incident, a safety forum was held in East Quad Residence Hall, and University Housing and the Residence Hall Association sponsored three safety forums Sunday.
"I feel like they"re doing what they"ve got to do. I feel safe now, I felt safe before. I think it"s about self-awareness more than anything," Khoury said.
LSA junior Katie Yonker said since she lives off-campus, she had not even heard about the incidents, but she did not feel as if she was in any danger.
"I"m concerned for the students in the residence halls, but I"m not worried about my own safety," she said. "I"m not worried that"s going to happen where I live."
Other home invasions have been reported in Alice Lloyd Residence Hall, the Law Quad and West Quad. According to Department of Public Safety reports, ten peeping tom incidents have been reported this year. DPS issued a crime alert after an incident on Dec. 2 in East Quad, and on Jan. 11 when a female victim was touched while showering in South Quad.























