2008 Woodie Awards
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR (2)
Issue date: 10/27/05 Section: Opinion/Editorial
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Rally support for campus safety
I would like to start by saying that Jonathan Kleinow's commentary, "Seventeen, usually vapid, banned for good advice," (Oct. 13) was excellent. He "gets it." However, I am saddened by Andrea Noble's commentary, "Campus safety doesn't require more lights." Intelligent people can disagree over the efficacy of well-lit walkways and trimmed bushes as necessary safety precautions, but your attempt to "pathologize" women's fears by calling them "irrational" is irresponsible and insensitive. Incidents of sexual assault and aggravated assault have taken place on our campus. These are facts that you reported in your commentary. We also know that in all likelihood assault occurs more often than it is reported.
Lighting in itself is not a cure-all, but it is part of a well-rounded safety strategy. There is no reason why Webster's campus should have overgrown bushes that make them hard to see around or dark areas that lack adequate lighting. If you or others have concerns that lights impede your view or that they create higher electricity usage for our campus, then your position should be to find balanced lamppost design, placements, and wattage. However, your argument that good lighting lulls people into a false sense of security is misguided at best and potentially dangerous at worst.
Some of the other safety suggestions that you put forward--public safety officials at Webster Groves High School and a permanent public safety post in the garage--are great ideas. I would encourage you to come to a "Students for Gender Equality" meeting and rally up some support for your ideas. Hopefully, we can convince you that proper lighting and landscaping should be included in a sound safety strategy. Then, we can all go together as a united front to voice our concerns to the administration.
Derek Feldman
Senior, Psychology
Thanks for a fantastic Homecoming
Anyone who knows me or has even heard of me probably knows that I'm probably one of the biggest fans of the Back to the Future trilogy. Even though I now live in Denver, I was more than happy to fly back to Webster for homecoming.
I would like to start by saying that Jonathan Kleinow's commentary, "Seventeen, usually vapid, banned for good advice," (Oct. 13) was excellent. He "gets it." However, I am saddened by Andrea Noble's commentary, "Campus safety doesn't require more lights." Intelligent people can disagree over the efficacy of well-lit walkways and trimmed bushes as necessary safety precautions, but your attempt to "pathologize" women's fears by calling them "irrational" is irresponsible and insensitive. Incidents of sexual assault and aggravated assault have taken place on our campus. These are facts that you reported in your commentary. We also know that in all likelihood assault occurs more often than it is reported.
Lighting in itself is not a cure-all, but it is part of a well-rounded safety strategy. There is no reason why Webster's campus should have overgrown bushes that make them hard to see around or dark areas that lack adequate lighting. If you or others have concerns that lights impede your view or that they create higher electricity usage for our campus, then your position should be to find balanced lamppost design, placements, and wattage. However, your argument that good lighting lulls people into a false sense of security is misguided at best and potentially dangerous at worst.
Some of the other safety suggestions that you put forward--public safety officials at Webster Groves High School and a permanent public safety post in the garage--are great ideas. I would encourage you to come to a "Students for Gender Equality" meeting and rally up some support for your ideas. Hopefully, we can convince you that proper lighting and landscaping should be included in a sound safety strategy. Then, we can all go together as a united front to voice our concerns to the administration.
Derek Feldman
Senior, Psychology
Thanks for a fantastic Homecoming
Anyone who knows me or has even heard of me probably knows that I'm probably one of the biggest fans of the Back to the Future trilogy. Even though I now live in Denver, I was more than happy to fly back to Webster for homecoming.