Safety awareness on campus reached a new high after a webcam was perched on top of Ohio State’s Main Library. This pilot program, called The Oval Cam, was initiated by the OSU Security Service and currently peers over the Oval and allows a 24-hour birds-eye view of the area.”The webcam is not meant to be a security camera,” said Patric Maughan, director of OSU Security Service. The goal is to get more students to visit the OSU Security Home Page and become more aware of safety issues. The webcam was installed last quarter.”I think it is a good idea, but students have the right to know that it is up there,” said Meredith Richardson, a junior industrial engineering major.”If the pilot program is successful, a more powerful webcam will be added. The current camera is stationary, but in the future the security service will have the ability to pan and zoom in and out,” Maughan said.”It is definitely a good idea both for safety and entertainment,” said Adam Just, a junior mechanical engineering major. “We heard about the webcam, looked it up on OSU’s home page and decided to try it out.” The system does not allow a close enough view of the Oval to identify an individual.”If more advanced cameras are added you could literally call your mom and say hi, I will be on the Oval, log on,” Maughan said.Many students enjoy being able to check out what is happening on the Oval.”I checked it once during the day and once at night,” said Jaime Rice, a sophomore molecular engineering major.”It was a neat perspective of campus. If a prospective student was looking at the web page they would probably think the webcam is really cool,” he said.Integrating the webcam with security cameras on campus is a definite possibility to expand the webcam’s service. Video security is not something widely used on campus.”The highest concentration of security cameras are around the Wexner Center and hospital,” Maughan said.The only fear students expressed was the possibility that webcams could invade too much of their privacy. An example would be if it was used to punish students for in-line skating or biking in restricted areas.”It would be a good idea if the webcam is updated and made so students can have a better view of what is going on, as long as it does not interfere with their privacy,” said Erin Macrae, a sophomore microbiology major.A balance between safety and privacy is an issue the security service takes seriously.”The security service is careful not to intrude on students’ privacy. We weigh concerns of people who do not want cameras everywhere. We are sensitive to that so cameras are only in public places,” Maughan said.The security service has considered adding an additional webcam on West Campus. An improved webcam would allow students to check on their parked cars, Maughan explained.Expansion of webcams would not be a large expense for the university.”The camera cost is basically less than $1,000. Like a web address, the main cost is in getting a computer wire hooked up to the site,” Maughan said.
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