For the longest time, I considered SXU to be a pretty safe place. I mean, I thought the scariest thing on campus were the geese during mating season.
My perception of safety is not without bias. I’m a guy. Being a dude, I have the privilege of not being afraid of other males–for the most part.
I don’t have to worry about turning my car keys into pseudo brass knuckles when I walk to my car after sundown and I never seriously considered the need to arm myself with pepper spray.
I never had a reason to. After all, I don’t think I’d fit the marketed demographic for those pink pepper spray advertisements.
“Pink pepper spray: chemically similar to non-pink pepper spray, but socially coded for women to keep the creeps away!” Sold at a Walmart near you. In the feminine care aisle.
Sarcasm aside, my general feelings concerning my safety at Saint Xavier isn’t completely reliant on my privilege. Before even coming to SXU, its reputation as an extremely safe school precedes itself. That reputation is not without merit. In 2016, Saint Xavier was voted one of the safest colleges in Illinois and in 2017 it was named, “among the top three safest college campuses in Illinois for 2017,” by ADT.
Saint Xavier is a safe campus which makes battery/assault and safety alerts all the more impactful when they do occur. Public Safety does an amazing job in their dedication to keep our community safe, but there are ways we can add to our own security on campus.
Create an emergency plan. It doesn’t have to be as big as, or as detailed as an apocalyptic, end-of-the-world underground bunker type of emergency plan, but something that would be sufficient enough to fit you and your lifestyle.
It could be as simple as creating a routine in which you send a friend or family member your location as you leave campus, to creating a multiple scenario plan of action.
For example, if that person at Gilhooley’s refuses to take a hint and you feel uncomfortable walking to your car or your dorm alone, you would follow an emergency plan.
Have Public Safety on speed dial or at least have their number saved. Whether if it’s late and you don’t feel comfortable walking to where you need to be alone, and none of your friends are up to walk with you, or you need to report an incident, Public Safety is a resource for you to utilize.
For emergencies and service calls, Saint Xavier’s Public Safety number is 773-298-3911 (or call 911), and for non-emergencies, their number is 773-298-4400.
Although I joked earlier about using your keys as a makeshift weapon and carrying pepper spray on a keychain, one innocuous and simple safety precaution would be downloading a personal safety app.
These apps come in various formats and specs, but the general idea behind it is still the same: when activated, the app would either sound an alarm, contact authorities, or notify contacts with your location.
In order to continue to foster a safe campus environment, the Saint Xavier community, as a whole, can not be passive in its education of proper safety precautions. After all, it is better to have the resources and not need it, than to need it and not have it.
James Cantu
Opinions Editor