Is anyone else concerned about their safety at night at Florida A&M University? Here at the Famuan, we are.
Last night as I stepped out of Coleman Library onto FAMU’s campus, a fellow student voiced the thought that was already in my mind: “Why the heck is it so dark out here?”
Knowing that FAMU’s campus is open to the public is a fact that already puts its student’s safety down a notch and considering the minimum amount of campus security they receive, makes FAMU students a lot more paranoid.
Upon arrival many freshman students were diligently warned by concerned upper classmen that being outside at night on campus could be dangerous.
Even at orientation they stressed the dire importance of the “buddy system” as if our lives depended on it.
We know it’s all just a precaution, but these same precautions create phobias in many students.
Students shouldn’t be afraid to walk on campus at night and they shouldn’t feel abnormal about sprinting the short distance from their car to their dormitory. That is definitely abnormal.
It seems as if on campus security is limited. The emergency call buttons are few and scattered around campus, distant from each other. There is even one that said “out of order.”
Law enforcement is doing a magnificent job passing out parking tickets during the daytime, but it’s imperative that they put forth just as much effort when it comes to the security of the students.
Gennine Myers for the Editorial Board.