It’s a little messed up isn’t it? We spend endless hours at the library and are exhausted, drained and just ready to go back to our apartments and sleep. But first, we have to mentally and physically muster the strength to gear up and be alert for a possible attacker on our walk home.
For all of us who don’t live on campus, there are zero university-provided options to get home safely, leaving only expensive options like Uber. It is greatly disheartening that being a female student in college has made me realize a key is not only for opening doors. I have learned that it is also a handheld weapon that I must be ready to use on any attacker. Why does it take an outbreak of attacks, like what happened last fall semester, for our university and community to actively become aware that students are not safe to walk alone at night? Why are all of the apartment buildings surrounding campus geared toward student life, but have no means of upholding the safety of the students within them? Where are all of the streetlights and surveillance off campus?
I already have my grades, sanity and frizzy hair to worry about, but do I really have to also worry about my safety at all times at one of the largest universities in the nation? The answer to that question should be no.
With a student population of nearly 50,000, there’s no denying that UF is a huge university. Being that our student body has more females than it does males, it only makes sense that such a well known, condensed population of young students, particularly young females, in one geographic area should be well guarded against attackers. Sexual assault is real and it happens all of the time. If you don’t believe me, check your email from the past semesters for all of the “timely warnings” sent out about attacks.
During the 2014-15 school year, UF implemented a program called Walk Safe, where students could be escorted home by two other students who have walkie talkies connected to UFPD contacts. To my surprise, when I was ready to go home the first week of this semester after leaving Marston Science Library, I was confused to find that the Walk Safe program had been indefinitely discontinued. The biggest question in my mind is why was this program discontinued, when, if anything, it should have been expanded?
Most importantly, being a student who lives off campus should not discourage me from my participation on campus. I understand that the school has lifted parking restrictions on campus at night so that students can drive and park after a certain time once it’s dark. But I’m sure many students like myself do not want to be inconvenienced by having to leave campus to get their car, lose their apartment parking spot and then drive to campus only to park about five blocks from where they were trying to go for a meeting or to study.
I know there is no easy solution to the problems posed, but I do believe that the hysteria for keeping our students safe should not calm down just because there haven’t been consistent attacks on campus like last year. As a student body, one that primarily lives off campus, we must unite and fight the threats that lurk in every unlit road and every unpopulated corner. With almost 50,000 students, we should be able to come up with at least 50 solutions to making our walking commute back to bed a little more safe. Have an idea for a solution? Let us know in the comments below. Stay safe, collegiettes.
Photo credit: campusviewplace.com