In the wake of the recent attacks on Chelsea, N.Y., and Seaside Park, N.J., the nation feels a sense of bittersweet relief that the potential 42,000 combined members of those communities escaped those attacks without a single casualty. By comparison, Marist College is home to only a fraction of those totals, but the over 6,000 members of the community still live in a world where the news is littered with reports of mass school shootings and domestic terrorism.
In these times, security remains a key component of college life, particularly at Marist over the past 12 months. The school has had a handful of high-security incidents and events and is also going through a transitional period. As President David Yellen assumed office from the hands of Dr. Dennis Murray in early July, Security Director John Gildard also announced his retirement after 14 years in the role and over 25 years working with Marist. Dozens of qualified individuals convened as members of a national committee who interviewed over 120 candidates for the vacant job, eventually settling on John Blaisdell, the Associate Dean of Students at Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn. Blaisdell will assume the position in the middle of October, with Senior Assistant Director of Security Al Aldelrahman acting as director in the interim time.
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