We would like to commend the Students’ Association Senate and the Projects Committee for resuming the tradition of the Walk for Light after a one-year hiatus last year.
The Walk for Light was started over 20 years ago by students, faculty and staff concerned with the lack of lighting on campus at night.
This is an important tradition for the SA to continue. Safety can always be improved.
The Campus Times endorses the recommendations made by the Walk for Light. We hope that both the Eastman Quad and the area between Rush Rhees Library and Meliora Hall will soon have better lighting so that students will be comfortable in those locations at night.
These improvements are especially needed this year since the library extended its closing time from 1 to 3 a.m.
Lighting for the quad, however, is not enough. We also recommend the addition of several blue light phones to the Eastman Quad. Currently, the Academic Quad is devoid of blue lights except for one attached to Strong Auditorium.
This is not enough. The phone would be completely inadequate in an emergency situation because it is not centrally located and it is difficult to see from the Academic Quad.
The positive thing is that administration can change this unsafe situation. There are two central places that can be utilized. Phones should be put in the space between Morey and Lattimore Hall and on the wall outside Hoyt Auditorium.
If the concern is that these blue lights will damper the aesthetic beauty of the quad, we suggest UR look into different designs for those lights that will aesthetically fit better.
Regardless, safety is more important than aesthetics. We need both additional lights and phones to enhance safety on the quad.
