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Disputes flash over PC cameras in campus dorms
By Guan Xiaomeng (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2005-12-22 11:28
Southwest China's Kunming Medical College last week equipped some PC cameras
in the corridors of all six of its dormitories to strengthen the safety on
campus, reported Spring City Evening News, a local newspaper.
Girls walk down the
dormitory building stairs and take a cautious look at the PC camera
equipped in the building corridor. |
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According to the paper, the college spent nearly 100,000 yuan (US$12,384.05)
on these PC cameras. However, the safety measure has sparked disagreement from
students citing privacy, especially female ones.
"It is understandable that PC cameras are used in classrooms," said a
student. "But we just can't bear that they are now in our dormitory building
corridors."
She went on to explain that the PC camera in one dormitory building corridor
was placed just near the rest room. In other words, the girls, even when they
are wrapped in robes or towels on their way to the shower, can be watched before
entering the rest room.
The student said that PC cameras appeared on campus last year and there were
more than 50 in all equipped above the gates of some classroom buildings and 29
multi-media classrooms.
In dormitory buildings, there are two cameras on each floor with one on each
end. The monitoring room is on the first floor and building guardians can watch
what is going on in the building around the clock via a TV.
Some female students complain about the "supervision," explaining it
infringes upon their privacy. "The problem is that male guardians are on night
duties," they said.
Aside from privacy concern, one graduate student cited support, saying, "We
used to have personal belongings stolen in our dormitories but now things are
better because of the PC cameras."
A college official also denied the accusation of privacy violation, citing
two reasons: One, the dormitory building corridors are public spaces while the
dormitory rooms are private ones, so they don't use PC cameras in dormitory
rooms; and two, the PC cameras guarantee the safety of students' privacy in the
way of keeping the dormitory buildings from strangers.
According to the college official, the PC cameras in
dormitory buildings corridors are used solely for keeping watch on the buildings
and the cameras are not linked with video recorders.
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