At issue: A random trespasser enters classrooms trying to sel discounted paintball tickets

Our take: Intrusion highlights need for new tap-in policy

Last week, a man posing as a college representative went classroom to classroom selling promotional tickets for paintball activities. He interrupted classes to give his sales pitch, which some students even took him up on.

Of course, had this happened between March 10 and April 6, the man identified as Andrew R. Colarusso would have been stopped at each campus building’s entrance and asked to tap an Emerson ID and, most likely, stopped and denied access. That’s because during that time period, the college will be testing a tap-in policy that will require entrants to use their IDs to access campus buildings 24/7.

After the trial was announced, many students expressed umbrage that it would disrupt their commute to class. Unless Emerson planted Colarusso as a mole to sway public opinion in favor of the policy, it’s fair to say that the incident precisely illuminates why this tap policy is for the better. 

On an urban campus, opportunities abound for this kind of intrusion. We’re lucky the occurrence that reminded us of this fact was simply a huckster pawning off coupons.