Take Care from Crime on Campus

An article published in the Boston Globe today terrified, saddened, and enraged me.

It is no secret that there is violence of many types that takes place on college campuses, and our campus has unfortunately seen its fair share of crime. In an effort not to sound too preach-y, I am less interested in the actions and punishments taken by the University officials than the dangers this can provide for the UMass Amherst community.

While I don't think that this will support the idea that students can get away with physical assault, it should send a message of awareness to students everywhere. We should all pay careful attention to our physical closeness with others, which can be aggravated when alcohol is introduced. Taking care of our bodies is something that can happen now, when we are young and in college, and can have a great impact on the rest of our lives.

However, this is not to say that this can keep unfortunate incidents from happening. In the case of sexual or other physical assault, or fear of assault, there are many authorities available to speak to. The UMass Police Department has created many outlets for students to utilize in case of emergency or the threat of emergency, as well as many means of help for emergencies on campus. This includes the Everywoman's Center, in addition to the UMPD.

The only thing worse than being the victim of a sexual assault or other crime is being too fearful to ask for help.