Students shouldn’t balk at precautions
For all of the notable academic awards, athletic achievements, amenities and extremely well-connected alumni USC has to offer, it just can’t seem to shake its reputation as an unsafe school.
Any UCLA student would be happy to rattle off the alarming statistics that paint USC’s campus and its surrounding area as a war-torn jungle compared to the tranquil pastures of Westwood. This stigma persists even in light of the rapid transformation of the area surrounding University Park in the recent years, under the watchful eye of President Steven B. Sample.
The Department of Public Safety reported earlier this week that there was an unusually high number of property crime that took place over Thanksgiving Break.
Hearing the complaints of students and parents alike following a tumultuous year for campus area crimes, and perhaps acting out of necessity, the administration responded this year by increasing the presence of DPS officers in the area and introducing the now ubiquitous yellow jacket-clad Contemporary Services Corporation officials around campus.
Our prayers have been answered!
Unfortunately, student reaction to these new measures has been lukewarm.
The number of DPS personnel in the area has been a comforting presence for many, but with many more officers patrolling off-campus areas, there have been considerably more opportunities for these school officials to crack down on those who just want to party.
And in regard to the CSC army that has been spread and strategically stationed in the area surrounding campus, the common student response is not one of enthusiastic thanks, but rather a sense of confusion as to whether one can get away with riding their bike in the crosswalk in front of such personnel.
Additionally, it’s been revealed that DPS uses strategically placed surveillance cameras around campus to monitor the safety of students around campus, especially those who choose to walk around alone late at night. The “video escort” service allows DPS officers to step in and respond to potential incidents before they happen.
Helpful as it may be, the policy was unbeknownst to many — until, well, two days ago, because of an article published in the Daily Trojan. Rather than looking to such a policy as a “guardian angel” asset, the more common response is one that sees the video escorting service as an invasion of privacy that in the same vein as the Truman Show or an Orwellian Big Brother.
But as much as we would like to stand up in arms against well-intentioned preventative policies that seem to invade our personal privacy, there’s no doubt that we would willingly to spit out any relevant personal information faster than you can say “irony” in the event that we found ourselves in a position of need.
So herein lies the problem: We don’t know what we want, and we complain when we get what we think we do want.
We want the campus to be safer.
And in hearing these requests, it appears that the university has listened and taken concerted steps to help to counter the notion of danger that has hung around the USC campus for so long.
But any time anything goes wrong, there is an outcry for the university to act in a way to prevent future instances. But when such policies are enacted, there is a greater tendency to balk.
Curious.
Perhaps it’s true that you can’t have your cake and eat it too. But in regard to the student response to the steps toward safety at USC, it seems that we’re getting our cake, throwing it at the wall and then asking for more cake.
Being watched to ensure a safe passage home? Stopping at crosswalks on campus? Mandatory bike registration?
Sure, it takes a lot out of you.
We can’t continue to value personal preference and convenience over necessity if it’s in the safety interests of us all.
This is what we asked for.
This is what we need.
Soojin Yoon is a junior majoring in public relations. His column, “Boy Meets Word,” ran Thursdays.
Here’s the thing, USC could’ve white-flighted it out of this part of Los Angeles and moved to former Marine Corps base, El Toro, CA back in 1994. After the Watts Riots Pepperdine said “we outtie!!!”
There are political gestures and implications as to why USC didn’t white-flight it out of “south central,” as our admirers across town adorn us the title with.
The pitfalls to being in the ‘hood is that if you’re a sheltered, wealthy youth, you better be on your toes and act cool around here.
The upside is that it conditions us to be more down-to-earth via programs like JEP, “Good Neighbors,” etc.
We are ‘SC!
Good article, for the most part. I agree that students seem to expect solutions to problems, yet tend to cry out once those solutions are enforced. I believe this is an issue with students’ lack of participation in policy-making at USC. For many students, it is difficult to even know about ways to participate, until the Daily Trojan covers it. But by then, it’s too late to participate.
When you mentions stopping at crosswalks on campus, I assume that you are talking about bicycles. But it’s not just bicycles that should stop–Campus Cruiser, DPS SUVs, and chariots should also stop at Stop signs, not simply at all crosswalks. It is the pedestrian’s responsibility to exercise caution when entering a street. Pedestrians may have the right of way, but that doesn’t mean that pedestrians can choose to keep their eyes off the road while talking on their cellphone. Pedestrians should still at least look down the street.
Excellent article and a great point! Well done.
Great article, your exactly right! I hate reading about students who complain about everything; be thankful you attend USC and be appreciative when they try to help you.