Several alarming incidents have occurred at the University this semester. Burglaries, bomb threats, an attempted sexual assault, a suicide... not to mention that the serial rapist still has not been caught.
Is the issue of safety now plaguing Grounds?
First-year College student T.J. Ensely was one of the students in the Alderman Road residence area who said they were burglarized the weekend of March 27. Ensely said he had a credit card, cash, a PlayStation and accompanying games stolen from him.
Ensely said he has observed safety becoming somewhat of a concern at the University.
"Yeah, I think everyone's been shaken up, like I know the guy who committed suicide didn't have anything to do with anybody at U.Va., but it's still bothering a lot of people," he said. "And bomb threats and stuff."
Still, Ensely said he believes that security in dorms is not lacking.
"It just pissed me off -- it's partially our fault for having our door unlocked in the first place," he said, mentioning that his suite door had been taped open at the time of the incident. "It doesn't bother me all that much because I don't think its anything that could have been stopped -- I just think it was bad luck."
After that experience, Ensely and his suitemates have decided not to prop their door open anymore.
"We've learned that lesson," he said. "We usually leave the bedroom door unlocked, though. I figure everyone's going to be on the lookout, so if anyone tries to do anything again it's their own stupidity. I'm a fairly trusting guy."
A couple of months ago, first-year Engineering student Rachel Cohn said she experienced a less publicized, but nonetheless disquieting, incident.
Cohn had been sleeping in her Alderman Road dorm room when she awoke to a knock on her window. A young man whom she did not recognize started asking her questions but left soon thereafter. A short while later, Cohn walked out into the common room, only to discover that the man and his friend had been let into the suite by her Resident Advisor and were now making efforts to chat up a few of her suitemates.
"They told my suitemates they were from the Bronx, this is the closest they'd ever been to white people and they were looking for girls for the 'Girls Gone Wild' video," Cohn said. "My suitemates kind of freaked out."
When all the suitemates confirmed that none of them recognized the men, the girls contacted another RA in the building who promptly called the police. It turned out that others had called to report similar suspicious persons.
Cohn said she saw the men again, just three days later, outside a neighboring residence hall. Again she reported this to an RA, who contacted the police once more. At this point it became apparent that the men had been visiting a friend, according to Cohn, but would have trespassing charges filed against them if the police received any further complaints.
Cohn said some of her suitemates were quite upset by the incident, and they are now much more careful about allowing strangers into the suite.
"The girls in my suite said they felt really, really uncomfortable," Cohn said. "Plus, the other RA was talking about the [serial] rapist and said this is how the rapist got in, that he didn't break in -- he was let in. And the fact that our RA let them in -- it was surprising because our RA is usually responsible."
Still, Cohn said she does not believe safety is an overwhelming concern.
"I feel completely safe with the blue light and Safe Ride, even though I've never used them," Cohn said. "I feel like we have options. I don't feel threatened to the point that I'm scared to walk around by myself."
She also said that, like Ensely, she and her roommate never lock the door to their bedroom.
As the school year draws to a close, safety most likely will remain a cause of concern for students, as many individuals take precautions into their own hands.
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