BC Bookstore Should Re-evaluate Their Bag Drop Policy

As a relatively new student to Boston College, I have been impressed at how friendly, supportive, and accommodating people and offices have been—I am excited to call myself an Eagle.

However, on a recent trip to the BC Campus Bookstore, I was disappointed at what I saw. The Bookstore requires students to place their bags outside the store. According to store assistant manager David Werda, this practice is “designed to provide an added measure of safety and security for bookstore patrons as well as to protect the assets of Boston College and the Bookstore.” While this practice may be accepted by students at BC, I question the message it is sending—students are not to be trusted so they must place their bags outside the store—It reminds me of the 7-11 across the street from the high school in my local community, where students are asked to place their bags outside due to the potential of theft. 

Furthermore, how does this practice provide an added measure of safety and security for students? It seems to me placing bags, unattended, outside the store places students at a greater risk of theft or damage to personal property.

Finally, if the policy is in place to protect the assets of the bookstore and BC, have other mechanisms been examined, such as providing detectors at the store entrance as most libraries do, or better yet having employees keep an eye out for an suspicious behavior by store patrons?

This policy is a sad reflection on the attitude of the Bookstore management at BC—students are not to be trusted. Thankfully I can and will purchase books and other materials from other retailers, such as Barnes and Noble, that do not engage in the practice of requiring patrons to place their bag outside the store.