By: Justin Worthing~Staff Writer~

After making a controversial change to usage policy, the univer­sity has begun restricting access to the basketball courts near Buenger Hall. Effective April 1, only those with an ALL Card or a visitor’s key card from O’Connor Sports Center can access the courts.

Construction of the fence be­gan in mid-2013 as a response to concerns about the courts’ safety. More than 60 crimes have been reported near the courts since they were constructed in 2010, 47 of which were crimes of opportunity.

The university’s decision has been met with mixed reactions from the Xavier community. In November, approximately 30 stu­dents staged a silent protest of the fence’s construction.

Students involved in the pro­test questioned the message the fence would send to neighboring communities given the courts’ popularity amongst local commu­nity members.

They were also concerned as to how the university did not consid­er students’ opinions when mak­ing the decision.

Community members inter­ested in accessing the courts need to bring a photo ID with them to O’Connor, where they will receive a key card. They will receive their ID again when they return the key card.

The courts are only available to community members during O’Connor’s normal operating hours, which are from 5:45 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, 5:45 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Friday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.