HOUSTON – With many students at the University of Houston feeling uneasy, some are changing their routines to enhance their safety.
One student, who is a junior, shared her hopes and fears.
Angelina Oliva walked with KPRC 2′s Deven Clarke out of the busy student center.
“It’s pretty dark outside,” Deven noted.
Reflecting on the news of a recent sexual assault and robbery at the Welcome Center Parking Garage, Oliva commented on what students are feeling like.
“A lot of students do walk back to their dorms, and sometimes dorms are on the other side of campus by the METRO railroad station, and that is where another robbery occurred I want to say two nights ago. So it just puts everybody on edge,” she said.
Oliva mentioned that last semester she parked at the Welcome Center daily, but has since changed her routine due to safety concerns.
Despite the busy nature of the campus, the volume of people hasn’t deterred crime.
“It’s just, crime after crime almost every day we get an email saying that it’s a crime,” she added.
As they walked, Oliva pointed out dark areas, such as near the library, where visibility is low.
“Over here is the library. It’s pretty dark on this side of the campus. There’s not much visible light and also whenever people are coming out of the library it’s very dark, and whenever you go past a fountain it’s even darker. So you really just have to incorporate some kind of buddy system,” she said.
Another concern, despite some well-lit areas, there are still many places to hide on campus.
“As we’ve been walking, how many security guards have you seen?” Deven asked.
“None. I think I just seen one in the restroom, but other than that I haven’t seen not one,” Oliva said.
The presence of emergency poles on campus offers some reassurance, but a lot of students feel it’s insufficient.
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