On Wednesday, Sept. 17, Keene State Campus Safety hosted its fourth annual Campus Safety Night Out down Appian Way.
According to an email statement from Assistant Director of Campus Safety Jessica Trombley, “Appian Way was transformed into a hub of collaboration as organizations from across the region came together to share services and resources with our campus community. Students, employers, their families, and community members gathered to connect with local, regional, and state service providers, as well as public safety agencies.”
Many organizations filled Appian Way, such as various local and state groups informing students about how to stay safe on and off campus.
Sergeant Andrew Rothstein, a recruiter for the New Hampshire Air National Guard, was at the event raising awareness about the guard to interested students, informing them about the opportunities that they offer.
“We love this event because it shows a demonstration of all the members here in the local area that support Keene State, support the students, support the faculty. They’re great partners with the local area,” said Rothstein. “We want to make sure that people have the resources and awareness on how to stay safe.”
In front of the Media Arts Center was a firetruck, brought to Appian Way by the Keene Fire Department. Students were able to learn about the rescue equipment that the firefighters use in their day-to-day lives. Firefighter/paramedic Kyle Rideout was representing the fire department at the event.
“I feel like a lot of times when we show up on campus, people see us and they’re like: ‘Oh, I wonder what they’re doing here.’ So this is to spread awareness on the capabilities that we have, and the things that we do,” said Rideout.
One of the many campus safety officers attending the night out was Tess Kinney.
“I just want you guys [KSC students] to take away that we’re here for safety. If you ever need us, come to us,” saidKinney. “We’re humans too. We just want you guys to be safe and have fun on campus.”
Community Outreach Officer Ian Matheson also spoke about the importance of the safety night out.
“The idea behind this is to get people connected with off-campus resources that they can access both while they’re at Keene State and then if they stay within the community post-grad,” said Matheson. “And then also protect the job opportunities and talk about the different things that are there.”
Two students, juniors Miranda Andersen and Isabella Tommila, spoke about their experience at the night out.
“You can meet new people. You can meet your future employers, which is nice,” said Andersen. “And then you can learn more about all the jobs that you may want to do.”
“Take the opportunity while you have it,” said Tommila. “A lot of schools don’t do things like this, so when they have big events like this, take the opportunity to talk to people. You never know when you’re going to get the opportunity again.”
Noelle Hisgen can be contacted at
nhisgen@kscequinox.com
