No real bubble when it comes to safety
By Editorial
At Santa Clara, we sometimes forget that the mythical bubble protecting us can easily pop.
While the university prides itself on providing an environment where all students feel comfortable, that does not mean there are no dangers living at or around the university.
Most students' lives are a whirlwind of classes, clubs and social activities, and, because of this, safety concerns can get lost in the day-to-day shuffle.
Just take a look at the Campus Safety report in last week's issue of The Santa Clara.
One entry says a "suspicious male" was reported taking pictures up and under female students' skirts in Benson Memorial Center. He was not caught by Campus Safety.
The report also says a non-affiliate broke into an apartment in Alameda South through an upstairs window, before being taken into custody by the Santa Clara police department.
With two such incidents occurring in one week, it's difficult to say that this is a coincidence.
Even though Santa Clara is probably one of the safer colleges in California and the rest of the country, these things remind us that no one is invincible.
On May 4, any girl wearing a dress or skirt in Benson potentially could have been a victim. And anyone could fall prey to someone breaking into a house to steal valuables.
It's unreasonable to worry about safety all the time. But taking some steps to make sure that you don't make next week's Campus Safety report isn't a bad thing. Here are some tips, for starters:
* Walk with someone from a party to your dorm room. Walking alone while intoxicated is a recipe for disaster. Always make sure someone is with you to keep you walking as straight as your state will allow.
* While on the topic of walking, pay attention to traffic while crossing the street. Forty-six-year-old Robert Willman failed to do so and is now in critical condition after being hit by a car last Wednesday. Between students driving and jaywalking, the combination can be perilous.
* Lock your doors. In the fall, The Santa Clara reported multiple thefts at off-campus residences, and that trend is not going away, with another attempted theft in Alameda South last week. Whether it's a dorm room or a house, keeping the door locked at night will keep your items safe.
* If something does happen, report it. The university isn't going to know if you were assaulted or robbed unless you tell someone. In addition to having someone working towards finding an assailant, reporting crime keeps accurate numbers, so the university can see if there is a major problem in any area.
Santa Clara students reported only 11 cases of sexual assault last year, although the number of unreported cases is likely much higher.
In a Feb. 23 The Santa Clara article, Philosophy professor Larry Nelson said that the actual number of rapes is "probably somewhere between a conservative 20 and possibly 100."
If this is the case, we need to make sure the university is aware of the scale of sexual assault at Santa Clara.
Last month, someone reported to Campus Safety that a man tried to abduct her. A campus-wide e-mail was sent out about the incident, and our awareness as a community grew as each e-mail was opened.
But with midterms passing and finals coming up, we tend to forget about those things as we stroll through our beautiful campus and see people lying out in the sun.
While this page isn't discouraging sunbathing or going to parties, remember: There is no Santa Clara bubble; anyone can access our campus and violate it.