Hillsdale students face their mortality every time they cross the street. Between running to class and remembering all the day’s activities, it’s easy to take a reckless step into the road.
Because it cares about student safety, the Hillsdale College security office sent an email asking students to be aware before crossing the street. I appreciate security’s attempt to keep me from becoming roadkill, but its warning about the dangers of crossing roads makes its silence about the recent removal of a registered sex offender from campus even stranger.
Security should send updates about all potential threats, not just ones that annoy the community.
Students already understand the dangers of running from a dorm to class. Sometimes a tight schedule might necessitate more reckless actions, and sometimes a genuinely distracted student might wander into the street without looking.
Most confusion comes from vehicles instead of students. Few cars observe the 25 mph speed limit, some stop to let students jaywalk, and others speed past whether the student is in a crosswalk or not. Instead of berating students for trying to be on time to class, irritated drivers should expect students to be crossing the street at any time, and should drive accordingly — at the very least, drive the speed limit.
But when students do cross the street to go up the hill, they expect safety.
The quad is supposed to be a refuge where only class-related anxiety is allowed and no one can threaten one’s dream of graduation. But a couple weeks ago, it wasn’t.
The good news is that the security office and the City of Hillsdale Police Department removed and banned registered sex offender Carey Charles Yacks from campus as soon as students alerted them to his presence. The problem is that they didn’t alert students about the security breach afterward.
Director of Security and Emergency Management Joe Kellam said security did not email students because they did not learn about the man’s sex offender status until afterward, and they did not think there was a high likelihood of his return to campus. Security did alert administration and pass out photos to front desk workers so the school would know if Yacks returned.
The college, understandably, would not want to broadcast the presence of a criminal on campus. But, given that The Collegian published an article detailing the circumstances of Yacks’ arrest, a simple update informing everyone that the situation was under control would have been appreciated.
The goal is not to make Hillsdale seem unsafe, but to remind students of reality. It’s easy to get lost in the Hillsdale bubble and forget that anyone can walk onto campus whenever they feel like it –– even people who have no idea about the Honor Code.
A simple email could have read something like the following.
“Hillsdale College security recently removed and banned a registered sex offender from campus. The situation is now under control. Please be aware of your surroundings and travel with friends when possible, especially at night.”
Security sent a very similar email last year when two students were tackled while jogging on Mauck Road. Security and the police responded, the man was taken into custody, and students were reminded to walk in pairs.
All security has to say is what happened, how they handled it, and how to stay safe. Simple reminders when a problem occurs can address student concerns and remind people that on-campus safety is not absolute.
Incidents happen. The college exists in an imperfect world. But pretending that crossing the street is Hillsdale’s greatest safety concern will not solve anything. If security tells students about small problems, they should also address serious ones.
Catherine Maxwell is a sophomore studying history.
