A Deep Dive into the New Swipe-In Rules at Marist

Sophia Jernigan '26 swiping into O'shea Residence Hall. Photo by Emma Cornfeldt '26

After winter recess, Marist University students were ready to settle in back on campus. New classes were starting, club meetings began to pick back up and students looked forward to seeing friends who were missed over break. 

However, a new update to campus security has altered many students' daily routines. As a new security measure, Marist student IDs can only grant swipe access into their own residence hall. 

“I understand it is essential to have safety on campus,” said Catriona Caputo ‘26. “However, I feel it is an inconvenience for students.” 

Dilemmas occur when students cannot reach a friend in a different building, access a printer or get into certain gyms. 

“I got separated from some of my friends in housing after being abroad, and when I go to visit them, it is always a process to get into their buildings,” said Julia McAree ‘26. “In the past, it was much easier.”

Caputo also agrees that this is an inconvenience because now doing simple tasks comes with obstacles. 

Similarly, Ava Carione ‘26 said, “I don’t like that I can’t enter buildings on my own campus that I pay to live on. I feel like I have every right to go into any Marist building with no problem.” 

However, other students think it makes the campus feel safer.

“It was weird to me that we did not have this update sooner,” said an anonymous junior. “I am pretty trusting of the Marist community, but I have heard of some break-ins, and it is comforting that only people who live in my building can now get in.” 

“As a freshman, I know in the past people would just enter buildings without being welcomed in, and now having this update, I feel safer,” said an anonymous freshman. 

While students have different perspectives on this change, others suggest there are different ways to make campus safer. 

“I feel like anyone with a Marist ID is not a threat because they are a student,” said Lauren Maggio ‘26. “More of the concern should be on the outside of campus.” 

Some students expressed that, instead of changing the ID access for Marist students, there should be increased security on the external parts of campus.  

“I still have a lock on my door with keys for only me and my housemates. Changing the ID access does not make a difference,” said Caputo. 

Regardless of swipe access, student apartments and dorms cannot be entered without a key or being let in. Nevertheless, students are conflicted over the swipe-in update as there is division between safety and inconvenience.