Safety is an issue that has been drilled into our heads from preschool. Before you roll your eyes and write this off as another article on stranger danger, I want you to know that that is not my intention. Instead, I would like to propose a new concern: walking alone on campus at night.
Your first instinct may be to think, “Well duh, don’t walk alone at night.” The fact is that sometimes you have to. I have a 6-8:50 p.m. night class twice a week, and sometimes I’m forced to walk from the Science Center to wherever the hell parking space I’d found that morning– alone –in the dark.
I’m no wimp, but sometimes it’s a little unnerving. I’ve proposed a route and some tips to help my fellow students be a little safer at night.
First of all, if you commute, try to park close to the building you will be exiting from. (I am aware that in the morning it’s nearly impossible to find a parking spot within a two-mile radius of campus.) If you have a night class, parking spots become a little more accessible.
I’ve found that when exiting the Health Professions building using the doors directly across from the parking lots G and H is best.
From these doors there is a clear shot of your surroundings that is not obscured by trees. When you’re exiting through the Orr Center, choose the double doors that are nearest to the road and where the shuttle bus stops.
From here, if you want to go to Rice Library or RFWC, walk on the sidewalk past the theater. From the library you can walk around the side past the Quad and safely access the Liberal Arts building or the University Center.
At night, I especially avoid the tree-lined paths that lead past the Orr Center and the Forum Wing by Red Mango.
A rule of thumb for me is to take an actual path (sidewalks are your friend) that is lit by street lamps, and is not obscured by trees or foliage.
On a final note, I am aware that the path to campus through the woods has emergency poles. Even if you did make it through the woods without finding a sasquatch or something equally scary, the ground is uneven and difficult to see what you’re stepping on.
If you need to get back to the apartments but don’t have a car, take the shuttle bus (why it only runs until 9:15 p.m. when the library is open until 2 a.m. is beyond me).
The university is a relatively safe campus, but things can happen. You shouldn’t have to ditch your nightly Starbucks routine just be observant of your surroundings and take a safer route at night.