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January 19, 2012
Better Safe Than Sorry
Although safety on campus may not be a priority for all students, it’s extremely important to know that Indiana University provides services that ensure a safer campus. Programs such as Protect IU, the sexual assault crisis center and the IUPD are all offered to allow students to feel safe and secure. I have found information on safety and emergency preparedness here on campus to inform students and encourage them to take advantage of the resources provided here at IU.
The Indiana University Police Department may not be the most popular people on campus in the eyes of many students, however they work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to provide protection to the Bloomington community. The IUPD not only respond to all medical, fire and police emergencies, they also provide programming on personal safety, theft prevention, and drug/alcohol education throughout the year.
I can’t even count the number of times I chose to walk home late at night by myself. Although I knew it wasn’t the safest option I didn’t think I had an alternative. Little did I know, IUSA offers a free safety escort service. By calling 812-855-SAFE, this service offers transportation for students till almost 2:00 AM every night of the week. Now walking by myself at night is never an option. Whether it’s calling up one of my sorority sisters to get a ride back, or using the safety escort service, I will always make sure I’m making the safe choices.
One of my favorite resources available to students is Protect IU. This is a website (protect.iu.edu) that provides information regarding health and safety on the IU campus. On the Protect IU website, news and campus alerts, whether it is about weather-related emergencies or student safety, are posted to help inform students about events that are taking place. The sexual assault crisis service is an example of one of the programs shown on Protect IU. This service is available to provide help, as well as counseling, to members of the IU community who have experienced any sort of assault. The site also provides further information about all the safety-related programs at IU as well as a forum for students to blog about a variety of safety topics, especially in terms of online/technology safety. Protect IU is a great resource to learn about keeping yourself safe!
As students we have a lot of aspects of our lives that take precedent, however as young students it is important that we think about our safety as well. With all of the resources provided by IU, there is no longer an excuse to not make the right choices that make our personal safety our priority. Even though we may believe that we are invincible and that bad things could never happen to us, this is definitely not true. It’s better to be safe than sorry!
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