2008 Woodie Awards
Letter: Journalism major warns students of Orwellian tactics by dining services
Issue date: 11/6/07 Section: Editorial/Opinion
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11/06/07 - To the Cigar, There is a hint of hypocrisy in the air at the university's dining halls. One week ago I stood outside of Hope Dining Hall filming footage for a story I was working on for one of my classes. I was then rudely interrupted by a dining hall worker who stood in front of my camera, and told me I would have to get the consent of every person sitting inside the facility if I wished to continue filming.
Despite my complaints that URI's dining policy was in conflict with my constitutional right to film in a public place due to there being a lack of expectation of privacy, I was told that Dining Services valued and respected its customers' privacy, and that if I wished to continue I would have to follow their rules.
Due to my previous interaction with Dining Services, you can imagine my surprise when I walked up to the dining hall on Oct. 31 and found myself greeted with a monitor that displayed hidden cameras to make me aware that I was being monitored. As if the cameras were not enough, upon entering the dining hall I then saw the increased personnel. The job of these extra workers (cooks, monitors, URI Police officers) are to pace around the dining hall, watching out for God only knows what type of criminal activity that might take place within the confines of Hope.
A number of questions came to mind while I was sitting there, a 21-year-old adult being monitored by a woman sitting in a chair with a walkie-talkie, as I eat diner. First of all where is the money for this coming from? If it is from student tuition why was I not informed, and then asked my opinion on the situation? Where does URI Dining Services get off telling me I can't film outside the dining hall without consent, and displaying installed cameras to make me aware that I, in fact, have no privacy? Just how much does URI Dining Services value their customers?
While I may not be able to answer a lot of the aforementioned questions, the answer to the last one is clearly not at all. This recent development comes on the heels of hand scanning systems, and not allowing students the right to exit their building. This college is clearly moving away from what it should be, a forum for the exchange of ideas, and more towards the eerie world depicted in the pages of Orwell's 1984.
Despite my complaints that URI's dining policy was in conflict with my constitutional right to film in a public place due to there being a lack of expectation of privacy, I was told that Dining Services valued and respected its customers' privacy, and that if I wished to continue I would have to follow their rules.
Due to my previous interaction with Dining Services, you can imagine my surprise when I walked up to the dining hall on Oct. 31 and found myself greeted with a monitor that displayed hidden cameras to make me aware that I was being monitored. As if the cameras were not enough, upon entering the dining hall I then saw the increased personnel. The job of these extra workers (cooks, monitors, URI Police officers) are to pace around the dining hall, watching out for God only knows what type of criminal activity that might take place within the confines of Hope.
A number of questions came to mind while I was sitting there, a 21-year-old adult being monitored by a woman sitting in a chair with a walkie-talkie, as I eat diner. First of all where is the money for this coming from? If it is from student tuition why was I not informed, and then asked my opinion on the situation? Where does URI Dining Services get off telling me I can't film outside the dining hall without consent, and displaying installed cameras to make me aware that I, in fact, have no privacy? Just how much does URI Dining Services value their customers?
While I may not be able to answer a lot of the aforementioned questions, the answer to the last one is clearly not at all. This recent development comes on the heels of hand scanning systems, and not allowing students the right to exit their building. This college is clearly moving away from what it should be, a forum for the exchange of ideas, and more towards the eerie world depicted in the pages of Orwell's 1984.