"Your safety is in danger" is just about the last thing a college student wants to hear. Between three tests a week and having to read over 200 pages in one day, we don't have much room left in our minds, especially those of us who have to work part-time and even full-time jobs. College is supposed to be a safe environment to express yourself and to become an educated member of society. As centered as our lives are around our grades, our safety will always come first.
Within the first month of the semester, KSU had three reported sexual assaults on campus. Then, earlier this week, there was a shooting, an attempted armed robbery, less than half a mile from campus and next to a very popular off-campus apartment complex. While this seems like a freak event, there were actually two different shootings at a different popular off-campus apartment complex. Clearly, this is an issue that needs to be investigated, even though the events are unrelated.
Despite the alarming rise in firearm activity this semester, the issue would be less pressing if the student body felt like on-campus police had the students' best interests at heart.
Unfortunately, there was no warning from the campus police about the shooting earlier this week. Many of us found out about the shooting by driving past the scene, receiving texts from worried friends or the texts received from the apartment complex next to the crime scene telling residents to lock their apartment doors and seek shelter.
This text meant the shooter had fled the crime scene and had yet to be captured. Students on campus receiving texts from their worried roommates didn't know if they were in danger. Students off campus with class coming up didn't know if they should leave or not.
For the next six hours, students had no idea of the level of danger they faced.
Yes, six hours after the incident, KSU sent out an email regarding the incident saying there was no immediate danger to the school or the students. While this may have been true, an email from the school would have eased the minds of students.
In response to the criticism KSU got for this, they said there were tweets on one of their Twitter accounts. In this day and age, local news can spread to thousands in a matter of seconds. Instead of tweeting about a very severe and scary incident, they should have sent a message to reach their entire student body.
When a nearby dam breaks, KSU sends out a mass email, text and phone call every five minutes. So why can't a single email or text be sent out when someone at a nearby gas station gets robbed, and the shooter is not in police custody?
I know I am not alone when I seriously consider leaving my apartment and KSU due to my safety. KSU, I love you, and you have given me an excellent college experience with professors that care about me and my future. You're a beautiful campus in a great area, but my safety is more important. I only hope that in the future, KSU will be more proactive and have a little more compassion towards their students. We are, after all, here to learn and to get an education.
