For students, college is a time when we finally step outside of the safe zone of parents and home.
For many, it is the first time that we conduct ourselves on our own or live in our own dwellings. In these situations, safety issues usually remain on our minds.
Among countless others, vandalism, theft and safety are all concerns that individuals are faced with everyday in many aspects of life. While away from home, shouldn’t we as college students feel at least somewhat comfortable that the best possible security is a focal point of those who pledge to provide it?
How many times have dorm rooms been robbed of valuables? Most of the time, it happens during Christmas or spring break, but there have been many instances when it happens while school is in session. If we had RA’s who put as much effort in curtailing these thefts as they did in making sure Valentine’s Day is not an enjoyable evening, maybe things would look different.
But what about the safety of off-campus apartments? While some complexes in Tallahassee do have security gates and “toy” security guards who ride around doing nothing in go-carts, at least some complexes have addressed the issue. But there are many that haven’t.
Those living off campus, more than not, have at least one recollection of incidents involving violence or thievery in their complex. For complexes that provide security, the question stands: How reliable is it? That question obviously cannot be answered for those that don’t have it.
We are living in an era when safety and security on a national level, or the lack thereof, have shaped how we live our lives. It is hoped that these issues are addressed on even the smallest level as campuses, dorms and apartments.
LeMont Calloway for the editorial board