Mertz Hall Increases Security After Two Consecutive Disturbances

Mertz Hall experienced two consecutive disturbances this week from unknown individuals, one of whom was a checked-in guest while the other managed to get past the front desk and two additional ID checkpoints. Both incidents led to increased security in the largest residence hall on campus. 

On Monday, Jan. 20, a Mertz Hall resident reported an unknown man in the hallway after disturbances on the 19th floor caused confusion and led Campus Safety to get involved. 

Around 11 p.m. that night, first-year neuroscience major Maya Taha left her room on the 19th floor of Mertz Hall to fill up her water bottle when she spotted a man standing outside a nearby dorm room. 

“The door was closed, but he was just standing there — it was creepy,” Taha said. “We made eye contact and I just kept walking, thinking nothing of it.”

Hallie Kuebelbeck, a first-year sociology major and another resident of the 19th floor, said the man ended up on their floor and was trying to talk to residents through their doors before Campus Safety was called. 

Taha returned to her room on the 19th floor and had put the encounter with the unknown man out of her mind until she received a text from her RA. 

“Five minutes later, my roommate and I are lying in bed when we get a message from our RA that says to lock our doors,” Taha said. 

Taha and her roommate didn’t leave their room to inspect the situation, but from inside they could hear and see parts of what was happening on their floor. 

“I heard a walkie talkie outside our door and I looked through the peephole and saw a few cops outside our door talking to the guy and some students,” Taha said. 

The man banged on the door of a specific room and attempted to talk to the residents for nearly 30 minutes, leading the residents of that room to contact Campus Safety, according to Kuebelbeck. 

Campus Safety identified the man as a guest of a Mertz Hall resident, and he was swiftly returned to his host’s room where the host was reminded of university guest policies, according to Des’mon M. Taylor, director of Residence Life. 

The following day, Jan. 21, an unknown man entered Mertz Hall at approximately 8:50 p.m. and made it past the front desk and accessed the elevator before leaving the building. Campus Safety and the Chicago Police Department intervened with the suspect outside of the building, according to Taylor. 

Campus Safety and CPD didn’t respond to requests for comment. 

This isn’t the first time an unknown individual has caused disturbances in Mertz Hall. A man entered the building behind another student Sept. 8 before entering several students’ rooms on the fourth floor of the residence hall, The Phoenix reported.

As with last semester’s incident, a crime alert wasn’t released to students. Many instead found out about the incident from RAs, social media platforms or parents who’d seen posts on group Facebook pages. 

Mertz Hall added preventative measures Jan. 22, including ropes indicating entrances and exits. Taha also said security in the lobby was increased, and there is now a security guard standing watch near the elevators. 

The university hired a private event security service, Luna Security, to help out desk operations and students have been asked to report any suspicious activity immediately, according to Taylor.

Kuelbelbeck said she feels better knowing there’s a security guard in the lobby, but she isn’t sure it’ll solve the problem. 

“Honestly, I think if someone really wanted to break in past a student at the front desk and a rope, they can and they will,” Kuebelbeck said. “I hope there aren’t any more break-ins but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are.”