Officer Robert Hoss and Officer Richard Whitaker serve as Milligan’s campus security officers.
Hoss, from Elizabethton, Tenn., began working at Milligan nine months ago while Whitaker, from Johnson City, Tenn., began working at Milligan three years ago.
Both officers work around the clock, normally 10 hours at a time, to help keep our campus safe.
“I have worked 20 hours at a time before with no breaks,” Whitaker said.
The officers have to be on guard throughout the night, and while some might consider this exhausting, they say they find much fulfillment in meeting new students and assisting them in whatever way possible.
When Ross and Whitaker aren’t working, they enjoy taking boats out on the water and just cruising down the road.
I had the privilege of receiving Hoss’ help when one late night on campus I lost my phone, and Hoss searched diligently alongside me to help find it.
I had walked all over campus earlier that evening with a friend of mine, and there was no telling where my phone went. I was in an unfortunate situation as I retraced my steps and searched rigorously. It was late, and I was cold and tired.
Right as I was thinking of ending my search for the night, Hoss lent a helping hand. He followed me around with his flashlight and helped me search for my phone. We moved rocks and branches around the creek until my fingers almost froze. Later that night, we finally found my phone.
I tell that story to convey that our campus security officers are honorable in that their one goal is to serve our community in whatever ways they possibly can.
In some cases it may be walking a young lady from her car to her dorm, making sure all the buildings are locked and secure or having a constant eye watching over our school. In my case it was helping me look for my phone in the middle of the night.
“We want students to trust that we are doing our best to make sure that their school is safe,” Hoss said.
As humans when we have problems we often neglect to remember to ask for help. We try and figure it out on our own. It is amazing to see how people will extend a helping hand if we just ask.
