Every student here who has ever taken a tour at Keene State College has heard the tour guide talk about the blue light system we have in place. They will talk all about the benefits of the system, how it keeps students safe and only a button push away from Campus Safety. The tour guides tout the availability of rides for students who are uneasy about walking home in the dark and the fact that the blue lights are placed in such a way that you can always see where there is another blue light, another safety feature.
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Most students come to KSC assuming that the blue light system will be some sort of a security blanket for those nights when they are walking through campus, or in the off chance something does happen to them while they are walking alone. They are on buildings, along walkways, and even scattered throughout parking lots. Despite the high number of blue lights on campus, the system is rarely implemented. Whether this is due to the relative safety of the campus or the prevalence of cell phones is unclear.
It seems to be that because the blue light system is rarely utilized by students that means the system can be left in disrepair. There is one light that is constantly blinking on Winchester St. in front of Randall and Monadnock Halls, and several blue lights on campus have been out for months at a time. The sad state of our blue lights is a shame, not something we should be bragging about to prospective students and their parents.
While it’s understood that cell phones have become the predominant choice for protection when walking alone or when feeling generally unsafe, that is not an excuse for allowing the blue light system to be ignored. They are a direct connection to Campus Safety, something most students don’t have on their cell phones. They may be an afterthought for most students, but if someone was in a situation where they needed a light and it failed, that would reflect poorly on Keene State College.
