Drew students across campus are raising concerns over a lack of proper lighting, impacting their feelings of safety on campus.
Most notably, the lighting is scarce towards the front of campus, where most of the academic buildings are. In these areas, streetlights on the paths are few and far between.
One Drew student said, “As a student taking an art class, I often find myself having to walk back from the DOYO late at night. In my opinion, there are not enough lights by the DOYO, and [it is] quite scary having to walk back when it’s so poorly illuminated. [I] have to use my phone flashlight.”
During daylight savings, students find themselves walking around campus at night significantly more often. However, Drew does make attempts at ensuring student safety.
Richard Wall, the director of security for Drew, explained, “Safety and security of the community is Drew’s highest priorities. It is always important to note Drew’s location in the Borough of Madison and Morris County, statistically one of the safest boroughs and counties in the state of New Jersey, to assist in crime prevention. Yet even in such a historically safe location, we are diligent to create avenues to always enhance our campus’ security.”
Drew’s main safety program is the LiveSafe app, highlighted by Wall for its many beneficial and helpful features.
“Beyond just serving as our emergency notification system, there are a variety of other features [in the LiveSafe app] that can be used to enhance personal safety,” Wall said. “Some of these include a Panic Alarm, SafeWalk, Emergency button, and a way to Report Suspicious Activity.”
Another attempt to improve safety is the Blue Light System. There are only two Blue Light stations on campus, and they are both in a back parking lot far from where most students are active according to a past article in the Acorn.
Since there are so few lights on the roads around campus, it is very Some students are also concerned of the lack of lighting resulting in car accidents.
Julia Scasny (‘27), an on-campus Drew resident, explained, “I wish [campus] could have a few more lights where the cars can go. I sometimes feel like they can’t see me until I’m very close.”
Even with the low speed limit on campus, cars still take a while to stop moving if they need to stop abruptly. An article from the DeSimone Law Office states, “When the reaction time is included, a car going 20 mph will travel about 64 feet before stopping.” This poses a risk for students and drivers alike when it is hard for drivers to see pedestrians from far away in the dark.
Not everyone is upset by the lighting situation at Drew, however. Some students enjoy it. One student said, “I don’t mind the lighting [at] Drew. It is a little dark in some places, like the Hall of Sciences, and that could use some light. I like that it’s a little darker by the dorms so I can sleep easily.”
Frankie Mailley (‘27) said, “I feel safe walking around at night throughout campus! I feel comfortable listening to music, and I don’t worry too much about not being very alert when walking around at night. I am also a man, and usually don’t need to worry about walking around at night, but I feel especially safe walking around Drew.”
Mailley’s experience brings up another point about Drew’s lighting issue: men and non-minority students often feel safer on college campuses at night than women and minorities.
An article from Inside Higher Ed states, “Female students, LGBTQIA+ students and students of color responding to the survey, conducted in mid-May by Inside Higher Ed and College Pulse with support from Kaplan, tend to feel less safe, and the latter two groups have had less positive interactions with campus safety officials compared to the full sample of 2,004 students.”
This issue of safety for minority students is reflected by Drew student opinion, with one student, Emily Burk (‘27), saying, “There is not enough light on campus. Walking anywhere in the winter past 5 p.m. can get super creepy and unsettling, especially as a woman on an open campus like Drew.”
According to an article from Rainn, “13% of all students experience rape or sexual assault through physical force, violence, or incapacitation (among all graduate and undergraduate students).” This statistic shows that safety on college campuses—Drew included—is of the utmost importance, and lighting plays a big part in ensuring safety.
One other critique of adding more lighting may be its effect on sustainability and energy use. If this is a concern for administration, it is still possible to adhere to Drew’s promise of sustainability and energy reduction by using renewable energy like solar power for lighting and other safety measures.
If students have any other questions about safety and security at Drew, Wall encourages students to reach out to him at security@drew.edu to set up a time to speak.
Skylar Anderson is a first-year majoring in studio art.
Featured image courtesy of Sierra Walker and Skylar Anderson.
