Department of Public Safety

In the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings students question Dickinson's preparedness for such an emergency. Both President Durden and DPS chief Danser ensure that emergency procedures are in place if they are ever needed.

Both DPS and the Carlisle Police Department are called to the Phi Kappa Sigma house to investigate a report of a fight. They find several underage pledges in an inebriated state. Disciplinary actions will be forthcoming and possibly detrimental as the fraternity had been suspended just two years ago. DPS works to change their relationship with students from policing to purely ensuring safety. The Keystones hold a wheelchair basketball game featuring the Temple University Rollin' Owls and the Dickinson College men and women's basketball teams.

The Mermaid Players and Department of Theater and Dance present the spring mainstage production, a dark comedy premiering this weekend. Vice President for Enrollment and College Relations Robert Massa is named as a member of the American Council on Education, one of only 38 educators nationwide to receive this honor. An Evangelical Christian group from Washington, Pennsylvania comes to campus and hands out inflammatory fliers to students, who were outraged and alerted DPS.

The women's bathroom in the upper level of the HUB is remodeled to the delight of females and dismay of the males who are fighting for a remodel of their own. However, the next project will be redoing the women's restroom in the basement of the HUB. DPS changes the requirements necessary to drive campus-owned vehicles.

The Academic Planning and Standards Committee changes the wording on Dickinson diplomas for the first time since 1879. They now acknowledge women graduates as alumna instead of alumnus and state that the student has graduated with a degree in liberal arts and sciences as opposed to just philosophy. The DPS safety walk is a success and many parts on and around campus are recognized as needing more adequate lighting. A recent Peace Corps recruitment session attracts a record-breaking number of students not only for Dickinson but for Central Pennsylvania more generally as well.

The room draw system is updated to an online program, eliminating the horrors of the HUB housing lottery. DPS Officer Charles Weekley is dismissed from his position after supposedly lying about abandoning a pet of a faculty member. The Mermaid Players and the Dickinson Department of Theater and Dance present the fall theatrical production "Urinetown." Football defeats Franklin and Marshall and retains the prized Conestoga Wagon Trophy, a symbol of the rivalry between the two schools.

Dickinson is named the most fit college by Men's Fitness Magazine. The Department of Public Safety holds a "safety walk" open to the entire campus. This event will allow students to voice their opinions regarding ways in which the campus could be safer. This is the first time students have been given the opportunity to express their ideas about campus safety. The Men's Lacrosse Team holds a Volleyball-A-Thon on the new sand volleyball court to raise money for the Red Cross.

The various alcohol distributors in Carlisle have invested in ID scanners in order to report underage buyers to DPS. ROTC cadet J.D. Dolan is named number one cadet in his regiment at the Leader Development and Assessment Course attended by all ROTC students between their junior and senior years of college. Dickinson invests in a service called DormAid which does laundry and grocery shopping for busy students, though most seem to react negatively to the program.

A record-breaking 143 sophomore girls sign up to rush sororities. The newly-formed Paintball Club seeks funding while clashing with public safety over having paintball guns on campus and whether or not they can be considered weapons. Spectrum, after receiving 100 new signatures at activities night, retains over 60 members, a number 15 times greater than it was in 1992.

The new safety flag stations installed at crosswalks, while intended to make the community safer, are viewed as a joke. However, other proposed safety measures such as more lighting and blinking signs near crosswalks were denied by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation so the flags must be used. Dickinson is ranked 11th among the top 50 colleges for African Americans as rated by Black Enterprise magazine for its diversity initiatives and the POSSE program. The new Rector Science Complex begins to be constructed, expecting to be finished for the fall of 2008.

Faculty endorses Select Committee Report on Greek Life by nearly unanimous vote. Residential Life allows Sigma Alpha Epsilon members to return to Biddle House basement. Registered parties now to be checked at random by campus police in accordance to the College's alcohol policy.

Due to a tragic accident at the crosswalk between the Holland Union Building and the Academic Quad, safety flags stations will be constructed to prevent further accidents. The class of 2006 says goodbye to Dickinson and hears Judge John Jones '77 at commencement. Sigma Chi, a recently expelled fraternity, sues the college. After a forty-year hiatus, the D-Book makes its return. The women's lacrosse team ends with the best record in the team's history and becomes the first Dickinson women's lacrosse team to win an NCAA tournament game.

The Public Affairs Symposium reveals next year's topic: "No Laughing Matter: Humor in a Complex World." Students lament the demolition of the James Science building, covering the walls with goodbyes and drawings. A new science building will be built in its place while the psychology, geology and environmental sciences will move to the newly renovated Kauffman building. It is revealed that Carlisle's air quality is the 24th worst in the nation.

The Underground experiences a cut in hours due to a shortage in workers and lack of business late at night, upsetting many students. The building at 25/27 West High Street is acquired by the college to be transformed into senior apartments. Three fraternity houses are demolished to make way for new campus building projects such as adding on to Tome. Dickinson College wins the RecycleMania competition in the state of Pennsylvania and placed 24th nationally. The former DPS garage is transformed into an archaeology lab.

Public Safety increases security in response to recent cases of assault and trespassing on and near campus. For the second year in a row, Dickinson U-Turn will be accepting various donations of unwanted items to be sent to Project SHARE and United Way at the end of the semester. Two students present "The World After" in the Cubiculo to raise money for Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS and to promote AIDS awareness on campus.

The Quarry revamps its ordering system, allowing students to fill out an order form with an order number for their sandwich. This eliminates long lines and crowds of standing people and instead lets them sit and wait for their food. 192 Dickinson students are accepted into Dickinson programs and partner programs to study abroad for the 2006-2007 school year. At least 90% of those who apply to study abroad are accepted.

College hires Delores Dancer as first female director of the Department of Public Safety. Author Ian McEwan to visit campus to receive Stellfox Award. Table tents in Cafeteria replaced by televisions. Student songwriter Keith Grafman honored by VH1. Men's soccer has best start since 1998

Dickinson hosts students displaced by Hurricane Katrina. Lt. Joseph Fazio to be interim director of Public Safety. Death Cab for Cutie to make their Dickinson Debut. Despite decrease in numbers, Sororities cheer on. Residential Life dispels rumors about negative changes to housing.