Author: Elizabeth Kennedy
The recent sexual assault of a female student saddens and infuriates many Occidental students. Countless numbers of students travel alone on streets such as Yosemite and Ave. 51 late at night and at great risk to themselves. A student traveling alone at night outside Campo’s escort area typically has no other alternative and is likely escaping a negative situation at a party. Students are mugged in these areas, physically assaulted, and now, sexually assaulted. How is it that Campus Safety, the men and women employed to promote the safety of the students, cannot drive a few extra feet to provide a safe escort to students? The escort service should be based on where students live and socialize, not some arbitrary square encompassing campus.
That said, this is not another opinion piece attacking Campus Safety. However, this recent event points to a growing problem at Occidental: the schism between students and the administration. It is glaringly clear that the administration does not approve of students partying and has done everything in its power to prevent such activity. Well, that’s just unrealistic. Not matter how arcane the policy or how brutal the punishment, some of the student population is going to party on the weekends. We’re college students, deal with it, cope with it, embrace it. The policies enacted over the years, with little input from the student body, threaten the safety of students. On a regular basis, friends of a student with blatant alcohol poisoning refrain from calling Campo for fear of a write-up. Imposing policies aimed at stopping students from partying is unrealistic and irresponsible. Students should not feel that Campo is the enemy, Campo should be a resource any student can readily use at a moment’s notice.
Students have been given little voice in new policies imposed over the years and this propels a negative perception, which hampers student/admin relations on other issues such as housing, diversity and so forth. The lack of value the administration places on student input is despicable and disrespectful. This recent sexual assault could have been prevented and the administration is to blame.
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