2008 Woodie Awards
Letter to the Editor: Should the apathy of Campus Safety be re-evaluated?
Issue date: 12/3/04 Section: Opinions
- Page 1 of 1
Dear Editor,
First and foremost, I would like to state that I am a dedicated Alum, employee, and current student of Rollins College. I have been in love with this campus since high school and consider it an honor and privilege to attend Rollins College. This will be my second degree with Rollins as I work to complete my MAT through the Holt School. However, I need to express my extreme outrage at the senselessness of the recent attack. For the past year our school has seen increased criminal activity though little has been done to increase our safety.
Why do we not have cameras around campus or in the garage? Even Wal-Mart has cameras! First, there were thefts and vandalization of cars in the parking garage, then a teacher was assaulted, and now this. What does it take for Rollins to decide student safety is as important as the quality of educational programs? At 9:40 at night this woman should have no reason to fear for her safety on our campus. This is my school too, and I take it personally that two men were able to breech the sanctity of this campus and rape this woman so close to other students.
I would like especially to address the statement that campus safety regularly patrols the campus and garage. This is simply not true in my experience. In the year and a half I have been attending night classes, only on one or two occasions have I ever seen a campus safety officer in the garage or even near the Cornell building. In fact, the one time I did ask for an escort to the parking garage, the safety officer proceeded to lecture me on how I need not be afraid for my safety as nothing bad has ever happened in the ten plus years he had been at Rollins. I guess he does not count 5 rapes in the last several years as "anything bad." To that particular officer, I would like to say-when you become a woman having faced the real fear of being raped, then you can tell me what to worry about or not!
In fairness, I want to state that the blame cannot be placed entirely on our overworked, understaffed campus safety members. I blame the fact that Rollins has historically been too cheap to pay a decent wage for safety workers and provide enough staff to adequately patrol our campus. We need security posted at the most vulnerable areas of campus at all times.
If this means having cameras in our computer labs, in our hallways, and in our parking garage-then I am all for it. If this means paying higher wages to our safety officers-then I am all for it. If this means hiring more safety officers-then I am all for it.
To end on a more positive note, I hope and believe that our new president will take this crime personally. I beseech you President Duncan, to put as much effort and funds into the safety of this campus as you will into the continued quality of Rollins educational programs. I think I can safely speak for the majority of faculty, staff, and students when I say we are placing the future of our beloved college in your hands. We expect you to treat it with the same dedication, concern, and responsibility as we do in being a part of Rollins.
Your Faithful Holt Student,
Sarah Eiland
First and foremost, I would like to state that I am a dedicated Alum, employee, and current student of Rollins College. I have been in love with this campus since high school and consider it an honor and privilege to attend Rollins College. This will be my second degree with Rollins as I work to complete my MAT through the Holt School. However, I need to express my extreme outrage at the senselessness of the recent attack. For the past year our school has seen increased criminal activity though little has been done to increase our safety.
Why do we not have cameras around campus or in the garage? Even Wal-Mart has cameras! First, there were thefts and vandalization of cars in the parking garage, then a teacher was assaulted, and now this. What does it take for Rollins to decide student safety is as important as the quality of educational programs? At 9:40 at night this woman should have no reason to fear for her safety on our campus. This is my school too, and I take it personally that two men were able to breech the sanctity of this campus and rape this woman so close to other students.
I would like especially to address the statement that campus safety regularly patrols the campus and garage. This is simply not true in my experience. In the year and a half I have been attending night classes, only on one or two occasions have I ever seen a campus safety officer in the garage or even near the Cornell building. In fact, the one time I did ask for an escort to the parking garage, the safety officer proceeded to lecture me on how I need not be afraid for my safety as nothing bad has ever happened in the ten plus years he had been at Rollins. I guess he does not count 5 rapes in the last several years as "anything bad." To that particular officer, I would like to say-when you become a woman having faced the real fear of being raped, then you can tell me what to worry about or not!
In fairness, I want to state that the blame cannot be placed entirely on our overworked, understaffed campus safety members. I blame the fact that Rollins has historically been too cheap to pay a decent wage for safety workers and provide enough staff to adequately patrol our campus. We need security posted at the most vulnerable areas of campus at all times.
If this means having cameras in our computer labs, in our hallways, and in our parking garage-then I am all for it. If this means paying higher wages to our safety officers-then I am all for it. If this means hiring more safety officers-then I am all for it.
To end on a more positive note, I hope and believe that our new president will take this crime personally. I beseech you President Duncan, to put as much effort and funds into the safety of this campus as you will into the continued quality of Rollins educational programs. I think I can safely speak for the majority of faculty, staff, and students when I say we are placing the future of our beloved college in your hands. We expect you to treat it with the same dedication, concern, and responsibility as we do in being a part of Rollins.
Your Faithful Holt Student,
Sarah Eiland