On Wednesday, September 19th, Keene State Campus Safety held Campus Night Out on Appian Way.
Various organizations joined including the Keene Police Department, New Hampshire Department of Corrections, New Hampshire State Troopers, Marine Patrol, crisis centers and many more support services located near campus participated, along with complimentary snow cones.
The yearly gathering promotes connections between law enforcement, local organizations, and the Keene State College community.
It aids in closing the gap between students and services that may feel frightening or unfamiliar. Giving students a chance to interact with them in a more casual setting.
“I think in certain circumstances there is this stigma that the police can be big and scary,” said Officer Jack Laporte of Keene Police. “The great thing about this event is that it’s a casual environment where students can interact with emergency services and be able to break that stigma.”
“Just being in an area where there are a lot of students at once can be problematic,” said New Hampshire State Trooper, Margaret. “Promoting safety and having the resources to reach out to someone is really important.”
“You all should be able to feel safe,” said Shanon Desilets who works for the Choose Love Movement, a nonprofit organization. “Safety isn’t just about physical safety, but also psychological safety. Being able to express yourself freely is super important.”
Students also commented that the event reassured them that asking for help is welcomed and shouldn’t feel intimidating. It also showed them just how many resources are accessible.
“Learning how to handle different situations you might run into is important” said sophomore Ronan Harriman. “Not just learning about what services are available, but actually getting a chance to talk to them too.”
“My friend had told me I should check this event out,” said sophomore Patrick Dumont. “It was really nice learning about everything available to us. I had great conversations with some of the officers.”
Eden Barnard can be contacted at
ebarnard@kscequinox.com
