Most of you I’m sure have heard about this tragic killing at Yale. As for information unfolds it seems like it may very well have been a person who worked in the building that she worked in doing her research. All of this is speculative, yet we’re confident that authorities will bring the killer to justice. Obviously everyone at sharenotes.com extends our deepest condolences to the family of Annie Le for their tragic loss.
The topic does however bring us back around to the conversation surrounding the safety of college campuses. I don’t have any stats to throw at you, just my own experiences and feelings. Down here in San Diego, we’ve got what seems like a pretty safe campus, but then again so would one assume about the safety of a prestigious Ivy league college, so I guess you never know?
It seems like every time something happens on a school campus, the dead bolts go on the doors, people walk just a little faster and keep just a bit more to themselves. Eventually the overly cautious return to a state of calm and the biggest concerns go back to being the odd fight at a frat party.
So the question is, are campuses safe enough, or do we fall into old habits and let our guards down too easily? It seems that the Yale campus does everything right, secured building, cameras and very limited access points. As sad as it is, it seems like crimes will always take place somewhere, somehow regardless of the amount of security.
I am of the opinion that you cannot walk around your campus (or otherwise) living in constant fear and that on many levels you must simply live your life. That of course does not mean that you should take unnecessary risks and go around looking for trouble. But it is my feeling that in general Colleges are pretty safe places. At least the one’s I’ve visited as well as my own. But I’m obviously not a safety expert, nor have I taken appraisal of all the schools across the nation.
So the question I would leave you with is, do you feel your campus is as safe as it should be? We have many students at many schools across the sharenotes.com network so please feel free to share your thoughts and experiences by leaving your comments below.
Although I am at a smaller community college, the campus security (both guards and cameras) here is pretty vigilent and has an everyday presence. There haven’t been any serious problems I’ve heard of other than a few vandalism incidents, so it feels quite safe even after dark. One professor created a minor uproar a couple of years ago by telling women (and only women) to always get a security escort to their cars any time after dusk. A bunch got offended, called him “sexist”, and walked out of class (I was not there, only heard about it). Our school is in a so-called “better” area of town, but I can see both sides of the argument. I have never gotten a security escort because I have never felt the need for it. Any thoughts on this?
Angela,
Thanks for your comments. In general I agree with you regarding the feeling of security while on campus. I think that students. male or female feel a sense of security while on campus. I will however say that I can see a very different side of things as it relates to evening / night classes. My school is large with a lot of students in attendance and it can feel at times very alone and dark while going to evening classes. I won’t say that I feel unsafe, however I will say it’s a far cry from the hubbub of daytime activity.
As far as your professor goes, its not for me to say if he was being sexists or not, but I do feel that whatever his motivations for his comments, he meant them out of a sincere concern for safety. I think the best advice is just to be smart while on campus and not put yourself into a position where you are alone in a dark corner of campus. Really not anytime of the day. Thanks for you comments Angela, I hope you’ll continue to read our blogs and contribute your thoughts on future topics.