How safe do you feel on Rensselaer’s campus? I believe our campus is too often viewed by its students as a bubble independent from the outside world. We tend to forget there are constant breaks into that bubble every minute of every day. Do you watch the local news or read the incident blotter about incidents that occur around campus? Are you even concerned? You would probably care if and when it happened to you or someone you know. We cannot live by the mantra “Out of sight, out of mind,” because that naivete will lead to vulnerability.
By no means do I want to sound preachy, but I too fell under the bubble misconception and freshman naivete. I was leaving the Union around 10 pm on a weeknight, and at that moment my biggest concern was that it was freezing, and I wanted to get back to my dorm fast. My thoughts were not troubled with the fact that I was walking alone at night or that I should walk near a lighted path. After I established the quickest route back—not necessarily the best lit one—I saw there was a man just standing on my path. My common sense finally kicked in, and I thought it was odd to some extent for someone just to be standing and staring. Instead of walking past him or anywhere near him, I walked a different way.
At that point I really brushed off the incident; it was weird but probably nothing. I fell back into my bubble of naivete. After taking the longer and colder way back to my dorm, I noticed a crime alert paper hanging on the door. I glanced at it and saw that there was incident with a girl being molested by a man. Curiosity and concern got the best of me, and I kept reading. When I got to the suspect description I saw it was incredibly similar to the man who was just standing and staring. I called the Department of Public Safety and told them as much as I could, and after that my reality check ensued.
All too often we think “It won’t happen to me,” and unfortunately it takes a tragedy or an incident to make people aware. By then it is too little too late. Don’t allow yourself to be vulnerable, especially now with the winter approaching and early nightfalls. There are many things you can do to ensure your safety on campus. A good thing to do when walking around at night is to walk with a friend or where there are other people around in well lit and popular walk ways. You should always be aware of where the nearest blue light phone is and never be too macho or too stubborn to call Public Safety for an escort. When walking at night always be aware of your surroundings, and don’t be too distracted. A good thing is to let your friends and roommates know where you’re going and when you should be back so that in the event you don’t return someone knows and is aware.
In retrospect, I kept thinking about what the suspect did; if it was him that I saw, what he could still do, and what harm anyone could inflict upon someone on campus. After that, I questioned why anyone would put themselves into such a vulnerable state. We have to realize we’re not in a bubble, and anyone can wander onto campus. We are always vulnerable.
