Awkward interactions with Quad security

I'm an orthodox Jew. Every friday night, saturday morning, and saturday afternoon I walk to the campus Hillel for prayer services. This creates an interesting regarding the security measures at campus housing. I'm prohibited to use electicity on the sabbath and swiping my penn card to get into the quad would violate this restriction. Because of this, Penn allows the sabbath-observing students on campus to sign up for a list which grants them access to campus housing without having to swipe in. It's interesting to see how the different security people react to this. Some are extremely deliberate in checking the list to make sure your name is on it and ask for your penn card number. I was held up at Hamilton last weekend for about 15 minutes along with about 20 other orthodox Jews trying to get into the building. I would deem this the power trip reaction which is commonly see with flight attendants and librarians as well. It occurs when insecure people in the service industries are infused with what they view as substantial authority over temporarily powerless customers. Some security guards--the friendly ones--will allow any Jew they recognize to be allowed in without hassle. Others--the one who don't care--allow anybody with a yarmulke or long skirt in.

I heard one story about a guard who pretended to have memorized the sabbath security list and after asking a student their name would think for a few seconds and then allow the student through the gate. One night, when it came up to a certain student's turn he informed the guard that his last name was Stalin. The guard stroked his beard and turned his eyes upward, seemingly contemplating whether he remembered this name off the list. The student offered a helpful "You know...Joseph," and the guard let him through. One of my friends told me that he said good night to a guard and the guard started with a "God bless you," but thought it might offend for whatever reason and ended up saying "God- have a good night." My favorite experience with a security guard on the Sabbath however, occured when one of them gave me a huge bear hug, informed me that he was a born-again christian, and that he loves us. This made me feel special.