Do California’s college students feel safe on campus?

By Naomi Vanderlip

“There’s a stretch of area from campus that doesn’t really have any big lights around,” Lang said, where a routine walk back home after a long day of classes and late fencing practice emphasized her feeling of fear. “It’s definitely really scary when there’s not enough lighting; it doesn’t feel as safe as it could be.”

Lang said she feels “unsettled” — even on a seemingly short, simple 15-minute walk. Although she feels generally safe during the day, surrounded by other students and natural light, this sense of safety abandons her when night comes, especially when she’s alone.

This unsettled feeling escalated when two on-campus rapes were reported during fall 2021 — less than one week apart. Following this, she felt more cautious and attentive to her surroundings.

Lang is aware of certain safety programs, both of which were implemented shortly after the reported rapes. They include Mustang Shuttle, a shuttle service that makes loops around campus daily, and Mustang Patrol, a student escort walking service for on-campus destinations.

Despite their availability, Lang has not utilized these services, citing the limitations of these services being only on-campus.

“It would be nice if they could expand, even if just a little around campus,” Lang said. “There’s limitations of it being concentrated on campus.”