When I received my acceptance letter from York University’s Schulich School of Business, I immediately accepted the offer without a second thought. I was quite excited since it was my first choice and I received early acceptance. However, as my days went on, I began questioning my decision. Even before I had stepped foot through the gates of York University, I started receiving emails with the subject line “Security Bulletin Issued.” I had accepted my offer in mid-April and by my finals in June, I had received three such emails. I started worrying whether my safety would become a hindrance to my education.
By this time, however, it was too late to change to my decision. All universities had sent out their final acceptance letters and I had already selected my courses for the year. If I decided to back out now, that would mean waiting another whole year to enter any post-secondary education systems. With no other options remaining, I started contacting few of the alumni from my high school that also went to York University. When I brought up my concerns about these security bulletins, most of them just laughed it off. A couple of them claimed that these were all a conspiracy by the university to keep students alert. My other realistic friends assured me that most of these incidents happen off campus; however, since they are in the vicinity of the university, the administration is obligated to notify students of these happenings.
After spending three years on this campus, I can assure you that York University Keele campus is a safe haven for students. Once I started paying attention to the location of the incidents in the security bulletins, I noticed that most of these do happen off campus. Most of these incidents take place at The Village, a residential area right outside of York. A student would never have to go into the Village unless he or she lived there or went to visit friends.
YorkU students may have to walk down Sentinel Road that runs through the Village. Sentinel Road is one of the busiest streets in Keele Campus and almost always has crowds present. This street also has TTC running and none of the security bulletin incidents I have read about have taken place on Sentinel Road. Instead, they usually take place deeper in the Village. Another thing to note is that most of these incidents take place at night. Other than one accounting lab, none of my classes took place after 4p.m. For students living on campus, I’ve been told that the dorms are very safe.
I’ve never felt any sense of danger or threat to my security while I have been on campus, even with the constant construction and narrow alleyways created by said construction. If mindful of his or her actions, I believe that anyone can enjoy an amazing and safe time at York University.