I am a paranoid person. I always make sure I know how to get to where I need to be, and that I have my cell phone close and my pepper spray in my bag. I am on alert when walking alone and try to be very aware of my surroundings. However, when I have late classes or meetings, it can be a bit unnerving to travel to and from those events. Being on and around Indiana University’s campus shouldn’t make me afraid. But I am, especially with the recent assaults and crimes. I am nervous and scared that I might get assaulted or jumped. This should not be a concern for any college students.
There have been so many recent attacks, some reported and some not, in Bloomington, and that honestly scares me. What is wrong with people? What kind of world do we live in that I have to be scared walking when the sun goes down? I shouldn’t have to worry about who is approaching me from the opposite direction or coming up behind me.
It’s up to Indiana University to make their students feel safe late at night. All of their students, both living on and off campus, should feel comfortable in Bloomington. Even though there is an IU Safety Escort, most students do not know that they can use it or how to get ahold of it. Their hours are 8 p.m. to 1:45 a.m., but when they are busy, they might stop taking rides at 1:15 a.m. IU Safety escort only has three minivans to pick up students and drop them off safely. With the majority of students living off campus, IU needs to find a way to help students arrive at their apartments or houses safely. There are so many reasons why a student would be on campus after dark, like attending a class, a meeting, or a required lecture or presentation.
Since I have a brother at Marquette University, I am aware of other options for safety escorts. In Milwaukee, they have what is called a Local Intercampus Mobile Operation, also known as the LIMO. The LIMO runs 365 days a year from 5 p.m. to 3 a.m. on the weekdays and until 4 a.m. on academic weekends. This operation has 12 thirteen passenger buses and is required to stop at all dorms. If you live in an apartment or house, you just have to call LIMO and it will be there shortly. All you have to do is show your valid student ID in order to ride. The population for Marquette is significantly smaller than IU (8,500 undergraduates) and has nine more vehicles to help their students arrive safely. Learn more at http://www.marquette.edu/campus-safety/limo.php.
Indiana University needs to come up with something like the LIMOs at Marquette. Students should not have to worry about their safety. Even students that live off-campus need some sort of safety system to make them feel more comfortable at night.
There is no need for students to feel unsafe here at Indiana University and Bloomington in general. It is time for Indiana University to step up their safety and make Bloomington a safe place again for their students.
