As first-year, female students at BYU, we cannot help but be a little afraid. Let’s be serious, we have a hill nicknamed “Rape Hill.” Living “on-campus” at Wyview doesn’t help us feel safer. BYU is pushing for better safety, and here are some things that can be done to improve BYU’s safety in the long-run.
First, more streetlights. We love the night sky as much as the next person, but we also like being able to see strangers approaching us. It’s a problem when we feel anxious walking home to our apartments after an evening with friends. Sometimes that just means walking around the corner. Perhaps with more lights, we’ll be better able to catch these creeps.
Second, emergency kiosks. Every other university in America has these kiosks all around campus. BYU has only a few, on the aforementioned “Rape Hill.” Emergency kiosks allow students to press a button and be immediately connected with University Police — who also automatically know the location of the student. You are put at ease, because you can say, “Oh look! If I was attacked right now, I could push that button and police would come so fast, because they really don’t have anything else going on.”
With student elections approaching, we ask that candidates and students keep these solutions in mind.
EMILY LYBBERT
Columbus, Ohio
EMILY KELSEY
Draper
