The Welcome Booth Deserves Its Name

Despite complaints, Security House is a cure, not a poison for Middlesex.

It’s hard to think of a structure that’s drawn more attention than the welcome booth. The change, of course, initially came with unfamiliarity. Does the Welcome Booth do its job? To be fair, the majority of students, by first instinct, resisted the change. 

From long walks to the Clay House driveway for deliveries to morning traffic, students often see the booth as an inconvenience. But in the end, the welcome booth provides something more than a welcome. 

Most opposition claims that the welcome booth merely brings symbolic safety. Yet the word “merely” should be investigated, considering its psychological benefit. As an international student at Robert Winsor House, I began to treat the campus as a place like home. In place of that idea of “home,” the welcome booth has opted for a doorway that clearly distinguishes the boundary. It is more than symbolically committed to harboring a sense of belonging, as the structure clarifies the threshold between campus and the public. That’s a decision worthy of recognition by all members of the community, including faculty children. 

Others are eager to point out that the structure is flimsy and weak, not strong enough to prevent serious threats. This is a fair point, considering that only an unarmed guard is stationed in the security house. Yet this claim misses the essence of the welcome booth. It isn’t made for fighting the threats, but it is made for prevention. Identification of the threat before entrance matters. The presence of a guard provides a point of human contact for emergencies. The perception alone of security decreases the likelihood of an intruder. The building instills fear on the intruders, while giving comfort to the community.

Of course, risks must be weighed against one another, and there are more realistic risks to the security of our community than the gun violence of an unknown intruder. This is not to disregard the possibility of such violence. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Concord has a significantly lower overall crime rate (9.14 per 1,000 residents) than the national average (33.37 per 1,000 residents), as well as a low violent and property crime rate. 

Whether or not such violence ever reaches our campus, we need to shift our perspective on the realistic problems that the welcome booth directly addresses. While opposition also points to the cursory checking of leave requests by the guards. Some even say we currently have an almost open security house. These claims probably all have an element of truth to them. But this is a simple fix. The Director of Safety and Security should outline protocols for leave requests for the guards to ensure they are thoroughly checked. Ultimately, if we don’t have an organized structure to properly catalog and screen all students who come and go through our campus, how can Middlesex effectively respond to cases of emergency? 

Traffic is another easily resolvable issue. It is undeniable that day students have gotten stuck in traffic at the Welcome Booth in the morning. Yet the summer update noted that “our community members (students, parents, employees, and residents) will use a vehicle hang tag that will grant immediate access into campus.” That would mean that once the standardized tag system becomes a routine, entry time will shorten dramatically. Only after a period of time has passed with the tag in use can we judge the gatehouse’s effect on traffic.

While changes don’t always appear welcoming, with a few adjustments, Middlesex will be safer as a result of having the gatehouse. 

Matthew Yoon ‘27