Personal safety is a major priority for individuals on college campuses. While many students may feel safe here at Montclair State University, the dangers imposed by the nighttime can be frightening. Many students take night classes and should be focused on the schoolwork at hand, not worrying about being possibly attacked, robbed, raped, etc. It is a scary thought that this can happen anywhere, especially on a college campus.
Those who dorm and commute face the same danger when they walk to and from class or to and from their dorms. More safety measures need to be put in place to protect the students of Montclair State when they are on campus in the late evening. I believe that it should be an important focus for the university to implement safety measures that can potentially save the lives of students.
A safety measure that could be put into place includes a special app that students can use to communicate with campus police. Two apps listed by Montclair State’s website regarding safety on campus are Circle of Six and RAVE Guardian. Circle of Six allows students to designate six friends that can be contacted if you are in trouble. RAVE Guardian is the only app that provides communication with the Montclair State police department. Campus police needs to be more heavily encouraged and enforced because it can save the lives of students.
Colleges and universities must be places where all students feel accepted and safe. I feel as though our campus is not monitored as much as it could be. Anybody could make their way onto campus, and I find that to be a disturbing thought.
The campus parking garages pose a danger for students at night heading back to their cars after class. Predators can hide out and target their unsuspecting victims hiding under the guise of night. This semester, I will be on campus one night until 10:45 p.m. While I try not to think about it, I will be walking by myself back to my car in a parking garage where many dangerous situations could possibly occur.
One thing that eases my mind is the blue light boxes, which are formally known as the emergency call boxes. All 124 boxes provide the same use: to call university police when you feel as if you are in danger in any of the parking lots on campus. I subconsciously think about what I would do if I was put into a dangerous position because of the lack of security available to students who take night classes.
Montclair State must put the safety of their students at the top of their priorities. We hear cases of students being harmed at night on campuses all of the time on the news. We think it only happens anywhere else and that it can not happen here at Montclair State. It is foolish to think that way. I believe that this issue needs to be brought to the attention of the administration because students need to focus on their schoolwork, not worry about a potential attack while walking around campus at night.
I hope that in the near future I see positive changes that help all students feel safe. Please always be careful and aware of your surroundings, this goes for all students regardless of gender. Predators are everywhere and Montclair State needs to step up the security to protect their students from potential danger. As of right now, students’ lives hang in the balance.
