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$165,000 Hart wall to be complete by October, facilities management says

Campus Safety implements plans for a higher wall in hope of increasing security.
$165,000 Hart wall to be complete by October, facilities management says

While Biola is officially considered a private campus, the 6-foot tall wall behind Hart Hall has done little to prevent individuals with criminal intent from trespassing. Due to recommendations from Campus Safety last summer, construction for an enhanced wall is currently underway in order to increase security and student safety around lower campus.

Chief of Campus Safety John Ojeisekhoba explained that an iron fence will provide additional height to the existing cinder block wall and will continue to run along the creek as far as the Stewart Hall dumpsters, thus enclosing a portion of lower campus parking.

“Currently they don’t have much of a barrier to face. They can just jump the wall or underneath the bridge, and they’re on campus. With the enhancement, it’s going to be harder to jump over an 8-10 foot wall and rod iron fence combined,” Ojeisekhoba said.  

With the main support poles already in place, the wall is projected to reach 10 feet tall and will cost the school around $165,500, an increase from the initial estimate of $100,000 to $150,000, according to an email from senior director of facilities management Brian Phillips. The wall is expected to be complete by late October after experiencing minor setback due to material delays.

Ojeisekhoba concedes that it will not be impossible to get past the wall, but is confident the increased height will deter trespassing since it will make the most convenient point of entry, near the Stewart dumpsters, closer to the heart of campus.

“It’s going to make it very difficult for all those losers to come on campus. They can still come, but they will have to travel farther to get on campus, which will put us at an advantage over them,” Ojeisekhoba said. “At the end of the day, the reason why we are here is to continue to work towards an environment where students can feel safe and concentrate on their studies.”

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Isabelle Thompson, Business Manager
Isabelle Thompson is a senior business marketing major who enjoys gloomy weather, reading and national parks. She is also an advocate for adventure and trying new things. Good literature has always been a source of inspiration for me. Through the years I have become influenced by authors ranging from Jane Austin, Mark Twain and Scott Fitzgerald to more modern writers including Andy Weir and Stephen Chobsky. Each story I have come across has had a role in shaping the way I see the world and who I am today. It was my love of writing and storytelling which drew me to the position of News Editor at The Chimes my sophomore year. Through that experience I learned the skills necessary to produce consistent, factual and engaging stories that informed and documented events that impacted my immediate community. It was a new kind of storytelling for me which came with the responsibility of doing justice to the very real themes and lives portrayed. Coming back to The Chimes as a senior business marketing major, I feel lucky to have the position of business manager. While I will be taking a step back from writing, I am excited to be surrounded by excellent storytellers and support the publication in a way that aligns with my goals for a career in business.
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