Safety on Campus
Graphic by Nati Yeshiwas
Going to school in a large metropolitan area definitely has the perks of gorgeous city views, exciting nightlife, and a wide selection of restaurants, coffee shops, and entertainment. However, this all comes with the concern that is constantly occupying our minds:
“How safe am I here?”
There are pieces of everyday life that students have to be more mindful of, such as using public transportation, walking alone at night, and cars or bikes being stolen. Alongside these fears are the safety incidents that are taking place all around us, and the University’s commitment to our awareness and well-being.
These events include the shootings at Royal Cigar & Tobacco in Dinkytown on Sunday, December 3 at 2:15 am according to Bring Me The News. This event was particularly disturbing because myself and many other students were out in Dinkytown at this time or earlier on Saturday night. It forced us to question whether it was safe for us to go out on weekends in this area in the future.
Earlier in the year there were also incidents regarding large groups assaulting individuals in Dinkytown. These incidents confirmed the convention that you should never be walking alone at night.
The incident that possibly brought the most fear and panic to University students, parents, and faculty was the shooting threats received on Thursday, January 11th. These threats came from an individual in his home in Chippewa County about 135 miles away from the Twin Cities according to the Star Tribune.
The threats were a major concern, resulting in the University sending several Safe-U text Alerts throughout the day to keep students and faculty away from campus. The issue was resolved later that day, but it left a lasting sense of unease about returning to campus.
The University of Minnesota's safety initiatives, as outlined by the Safe Campus program, include the 624-Walk, Blue Light Kiosks, Rave Guardian, Gopher Chauffeur, Safe-U text Alerts, in addition to the Aurora Center and Student Counseling Services.
When asked how often she uses these resources, University of Minnesota student and resident Chloe Hughes said,“ I like Safe-U alerts, being close to Dinkytown where alerts are typically more frequent, I like getting a message just to be aware of it.”
“I’ve never felt unsafe on campus, but I’m personally aware of when I am out in the city vs on campus,” said Hughes.“When going out I typically have a plan going into it about how I’ll get home, so Gopher Chauffeur or 624-Walk don’t come to mind.”
In general, regardless of how much students use these safety initiatives, the university should always have these measures in place and should be constantly working on how to enhance student safety, especially in light of the ongoing events in the area.
Hughes feels safe knowing that the university has them, especially “knowing that the blue light poles are spread throughout campus I’m aware of where they are if anything were to happen.”
There are difficulties of living in a large city, however, we should be able to have our nights out and enjoy exploring Minneapolis accordingly. Though we should not be reliant on these safety initiatives alone, utilizing campus resources, staying alert, paying attention to the time of day, and avoiding being alone are great ways to feel more secure in the city.