On Tuesday January 9th, a day after students arrived back from winter break, loud noises could be heard coming from the side of the campus along Manhattan College Parkway. As students peaked through classrooms in the 100s and 200s, construction workers could be seen pounding into the grassy hill near Manhattan College Parkway. At first it was unclear why these workers were causing such a disruption, but soon it became clear that they were erecting a 6 foot fence that would eventually enclose the outdoor space between the 100 and 200s buildings. As the students and faculty filtered out of school that Tuesday, many wondered about the necessity and efficacy of this fence. For the next week students discussed the fence with passion, but a couple weeks removed and the fence has become ostensibly normalized.
For years, the school had been considering fencing off as much of the campus as possible. The security team, and other administrative officials, had gone over various plans, but it was not until the beginning of this academic year that the school finally decided to go through with it.
“At difference junctures this year and in the past, we have had individuals enter buildings without permission,” Wrote Jessica Bagby in an email to the community, “And they should not have been on our school premises.”
Halloween this year was one of the times when an unauthorized individual made their way onto campus. A mentally ill alumna entered the school without anyone stopping her and proceeded into the 600s building by the Commons. She then went to what was once her locker and began to take books out of it and put them in her bag. When a student asked her what she was doing, she began to get riled up and visibly upset. Fortunately, a teacher who was nearby helped to diffuse the situation and brought the woman to security so that, thankfully, no one was harmed. However, it was still an indication of just how hard it can be to ensure that only approved people get onto campus.
“We’re a porous campus,” Said David Argenzio, Director of Safety and Security. “It creates a lot of difficulty in managing and vetting who gets on campus.”
In order to prevent anymore incidents, the school chose the fence as the best way to secure the campus. While it may feel unfamiliar to Fieldston students, the new structure is similar to the ways other private schools in our area have protected their campus and students. Educating Pre-K students through high school seniors, Argenzio and Kyle Wilkie-Glass, the Chief Operating Officer of Fieldston, feel strongly about making the campus safe for students of all ages.
“Admitting one person to campus at the Riverdale gate or admin circle really means they will be in the vicinity of somebody as early as a pre-k age.” Said Wilkie-Glass.
Although there are currently gaps in the fence, gates will eventually fill them in. Along with the gates, new security measures will be put in place. While people leaving campus will be able to simply exit, using the push bars on the gates, the process to enter campus will be a bit more complicated.
In the morning, as students stream off of buses, the middle gate will be open, but security guards will be stationed there and responsible for checking student IDs. There will also be a guard stationed at the gate from the parking lot in front of the middle school. However, if students need to enter at other times a guard will have to let them in. In the future, although it is not clear exactly when, students will be able to open the gates themselves with special key cards.
The student body’s initial shock at the construction of the fence was a product of the perceived limited communication the administration provided before the fence was erected. School officials had sent out information about the new security measures before Winter break in a two page email that included one bullet point on the structural addition to the campus. Since students have returned there has been a greater effort by the administration to communicate the point and necessity of the wall. However, many students still feel that the fence is an intrusion and are off put by the disregard of effective communication. It is understandable that such a large and visible change to the campus, and students’ daily routines, has irritated the student body, but those who are overseeing the process want to make it clear that they are only doing what they believe is necessary to protect the school.
“Everything we do is not to make life difficult on campus,” Said Argenzio. “We want to make it a safe environment.”
