Students, administrators comment on safety concerns
Campus safety is the first thing on every student’s mind in the wake of the Virginia Tech shootings.
Both the CU administration and students must now find a common ground on possible measures to provide peace of mind.
“I feel safe on this campus, but I definitely think that more actions need to be taken to make students feel more relaxed, especially after what happened on Virginia Tech,” said Jennifer Payne, a junior advertising major.
CU is looking into new security methods and decreasing response time in the event of crisis. CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard is considering possible technology that sends urgent messages to students’ cell phones.
“We are engaged in a process right now that looks at how safe we are and sees what we can do better,” Hilliard said.
Some students don’t think security is a problem at all.
“I don’t think that guns are the problem. I think people are. If we outlaw guns, then students will bring knives, and if we don’t allow those, then they will think of something else. We need to change that mentality,” said Melissa Yeung, a junior MCD biology major.
“People need to stop being so scared. This is a nice place,” said Nathaniel King, a freshman biochemistry major.
One dorm has already had security issues this semester after the dorm prowler incidents earlier in the semester.
CU also has some early-warning measures in place to prevent rape and other dangerous situations with emergency call posts and alarm sirens throughout campus.
Hilliard said students can help make campus more secure by looking out for others and reporting suspicious acts to the police or other administrators.
The most obvious outlet for students in the dorms to report problems is a resident adviser. But not all students are comfortable taking that route.
“To be completely honest, I have a problem with the RA’s in Hallet. They never get back to me and never respond to e-mails I send them. As far as being safe, I would feel more protected and comfortable at CU if they were more responsible,” said Christine Sakraida, a freshman finance major.
Contact Campus Press staff writer Tate Delloye at tate.delloye@thecampuspress.com.
