Editorial | A sense of security
Illustrated by Kaz Fantone
When we were bright-eyed, prospective college students, we took a college tour that played an important role in deciding our fate of attending Chapman. On the tour, guides took the time to highlight the safety of the campus. They stopped and made note of the blue emergency phones that became a symbol of safety and promised security in an instant. We took comfort in this; the promise of safety may have even lured us here.
In order to keep this promise, Chapman must ensure that its commitment to safety is fulfilled. Regardless of the school, the location or the crime levels, schools advertise their commitment to ensuring safety on campus – they take pride in it.
The already nerve-wracking act of leaving home and going to college can be debilitating. Mix that with the anxiety of moving to a new area and it’s no surprise that students find themselves uncomfortable. That’s why the promise of safety is so important; we have so many other fears to worry about that security becomes an almost guaranteed afterthought. Some of us buy pepper spray to hang on our keychains, others make note of the Public Safety phone number on the back of our student IDs. But we rely upon protection. After all, it is our well-being.
Both on campus and throughout the country, the safety of college students has been in the spotlight recently with stories regarding students being attacked or harassed on their campus after contacting campus security.
The case of Lauren McCluskey, a University of Utah student who died after being shot by her ex-boyfriend, has caught the attention of many college students in the past year. McCluskey had previously reached out to her on-campus security voicing her fears.
Yet her claims went unanswered – and now her parents are suing the campus and expressing their hope that the concerns of college students are taken more seriously. The family’s $56 million lawsuit alleges that the university missed multiple chances to prevent McCluskey’s death, despite her numerous reports to police. Any money received as a result of the lawsuit would go toward improving campus safety, according to her parents.
This story struck a nerve with us – why aren’t our concerns being taken seriously? We all received the email this past week bearing news we didn’t want to read: There was another incident of harassment in the area surrounding our campus. This comes just weeks after we received a similar email and after a student’s reported harassment was seemingly brushed off last week. So now we’re wondering, should we be concerned for our safety?
One of the greatest things about Orange is its small-town feel. Old Towne Orange and the Plaza have a Hallmark movie feel that radiates an air of safety. So sometimes, we take for granted the fact that crime still occurs here.
Three students were subjected to indecent exposure this semester – that’s three students too many. We know that Chapman can’t protect its students from everything, but repeat offenses in an area that’s so close to campus is unacceptable.
We know the job of Public Safety is difficult and that problems like this don’t evaporate overnight. But we hate the thought that another student could have this happen to them before this current offender gets caught. And worse, we hate the thought of this harassment escalating into a national headline story.
In the meantime, believe students. Listen to us when we voice our concerns. College is a time for us to grow and to find ourselves; allow us that opportunity by addressing our concerns when we voice them.