Opinion

Be smart, be safe

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Also by Badger Herald Editorial Board:

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With thousands of new students on campus this fall, many alone for the first time, safety is a vital concern. While the University of Wisconsin and the city of Madison both present new opportunities to socialize, party and celebrate, students must be reminded that their decision making on a night out to the bars, or even the library, can have grave effects on not only their well-being, but also on the welfare of others.

While Madison is a place to be enjoyed and explored, students must be reminded that crime, death and injury all occur on this isthmus. Recently, it seems such injustices have been happening with greater frequency and the level of violence continues to escalate.

So far in 2004, there have been 19 sexual assaults by strangers in Madison. Five gruesome assaults occurred over the summer, and in four of these cases, the victims were college-aged women. A number of beatings were reported in the area surrounding Hoyt Park during the same time span. Just last week, a man armed with a firearm beat three victims in two separate incidents in Madison’s downtown district.

With alcohol use among students at its highest during the first month of the fall semester, students must be aware of their surroundings and have the proper resources available to get home safely.

UW offers a variety of ways to help students get home at night. SAFE nighttime services provide free walking escorts as well as free cab rides and bus routes. While restrictions on usage and the radius of service can seem inefficient, SAFE offers this campus an invaluable service that only promotes safety at times when students are most vulnerable.

Students should be given every opportunity to enjoy Madison. Much of one’s college experience is defined by how wet one can get their feet. In the midst of this, it is of dire importance to stay safe and to keep those around you out of harm’s way. Sound judgment and competence in the face of celebration is of the greatest importance as the new school year gets underway.