A Student Senate project is in the works to bring more lights to campus and hopes to be kickstarted by the end of fall 2021.
Last fall, Student Senate hosted an event entitled “Represent” that gathered student leaders around campus and listened to their feedback regarding needed improvements on campus.
This meeting surfaced a common desire for better lighting on campus, particularly in areas inside Vayhinger Loop.
“Many people mentioned they wanted better lighting, particularly in the darker, middle areas of campus, such as between Olson Hall and Zondervan Library,” sophomore Student Senate member Andrew Bruner said. “We took that into consideration; enough people wanted that to happen that we should talk to the administration about it.”
While this project was initiated last spring, Student Senate met for the first time Oct. 7 with an intention of carrying this project to fruition as early as the end of fall 2021.
In addition to the lights on campus, the need for emergency call boxes was also brought to the administration in the hopes of increasing campus safety.
“Student safety is one of our top concerns,“ Skip Trudeau, vice president for student development said. “Especially with lighting, Jeff Wallace and the campus police officers make note of any kind of dark spots (due to non-functioning light posts) and turn them in every time they see one. This happens every night, so overall campus safety is really, really important to us.”
Campus safety remains a top priority in all areas of this initiative. Student life does not stop when the sun goes down, and often there are students who are busier at night. Bruner mentioned examples such as night classes or leaving the dorm to print a paper at the library, which are both common reasons for students to be out late.
Both the Student Senate and Taylor Administration agreed on this front and are willing to take productive steps forward.
“We are hoping to make people feel safer,” Bruner said. “Campus and Upland are really safe places in general, but there are still legitimate reasons to feel worried if you are a student. We want people to feel like this is a safe area, and the administration shares that goal with us.”
At this point, the project depends on the mobilization of time or resources available for completion. There is a likelihood the lights will begin being installed as early as the end of Fall 2021.
Because of positive feedback from peers and faculty, the leaders feel encouraged that this project will go forward in the coming months.
