As we watch more and more mass shootings and random acts of violence we are becoming increasingly concerned  that the College of DuPage has an open-door policy, meaning there is no security over who is allowed on campus and who isn’t. 

There are various people who have been identified loitering the campus outside and during regular class hours.

 One of the largest concerns are the solicitors for a “Christian bible-study.” 

This group is not affiliated with any student groups or college organizations., Yet it has been called out by students for harassing students to join, saying that the Bible mentions a “female God” and being invasive about asking students their religious beliefs. These people are often women dressed in business casual attire and approach students, frequently women, to try to meet for a bible study at an off-campus location. 

Even though COD is a public institution, this doesn’t mean we shouldn’t scrutinize who is here and who isn’t. Some public high schools require visitors to have their ID’s scanned and logged for security. If COD Is a public institution like some high schools, why don’t we implement measures to keep our students, staff and community members safe? 

Another group that causes safety concerns is the openly homophobic propaganda group that sets up a table near the Student Life Lounge several times a semester.

The group, called Heterosexuals Organized for a Moral Environment (HOME) hand out hateful propaganda to students and campus visitors as well as decorate their table with posters listing health “statistics” about homosexual and bisexual indivudals– the posters have statements such as “the average lifespan of a homoseuxal is significantly shorter than normal.” HOME is set to return to campus Feb. 24 and Feb. 25. 

The group has been protested by many students on campus before, yet they are still allowed on. Why is COD allowing a group that spews hate speech to specific members of the student body on our campus? We, as students, pay to attend the school. By allowing hateful people on campus, COD is using our money against us.

 It’s not merely offensive, this hate speech is also deragatory to the LGBTQ community. On a public campus, students give up certain rights of theirs to attend class. If they are too disruptive in class or on the grounds, the school has the right to remove the student. If we expect students, who pay to be here, to be held to this standard, a group that isn’t contributing financially in the way students are should be held more strictly. 

 The security on campus is insufficient for the number of people present every day. Whether it’s by increasing the security personnel or by adding more safety measures to keep the campus secure, COD has a responsibility to keep its students and community members safe.