March for Safety

ON THURSDAY NIGHT, everyone on this campus should think about their personal safety. Walk outside in the dark. Think about people lingering in alleyways. Be paranoid.

And then go to the Take Back the Night 1992 rally in the MAC quadrangle and the march. Join in support against violence--whether against men or women, joggers or dog-walkers, homeless people or those just trying to walk home.

Take Back the Night is ostensibly a series of events to raise awareness in the community about the appalling prevalence of violence against women. But Take Back the Night should not just be a "women's event." The lectures, films and panel discussions on date rape, rape prosecution, pornography, incest and anti-gay violence should be of interest and of some help to all people. No one should avoid these issues or feel that they aren't affected by violence against a group or individual in this society.

The march and rally on Thursday are especially not just for one particular group on campus. Safety should be a top priority for everyone in Cambridge. No matter how physically strong a person is, he or she is always in danger of becoming the victim of random violence.

Marching to Take Back the Night will send a strong message to the University that people do not feel safe enough at Harvard and that there is a lot more that Harvard should be doing to improve campus security.

.We need a more flexible and regular escort service that is not just a stop-gap measure. The service now only runs until 3 a.m., will not pick up more than two students and is not supposed to be used on a regular basis. This isn't good enough for the schedules some students keep on this campus.

.The University should also expand the shuttle bus service and coordinate it with the escort service. The two are currently treated separately while they perform essentially the same function at night. More shuttle buses at night (while the improved daytime schedule is convenient, it does not alleviate any safety concerns), protected and lighted shuttle bus stops and more pick-up points are also needed.

.More lighting is essential around campus, on Garden Street and on the side streets to Mather and Peabody Terrace. While the University will build a new hotel and a new dorm, they do not spend enough on installing and maintaining lighting.

By showing up at any of the Take Back the Night 1992 events, students can show Harvard that we are concerned about safety and that we want action. We urge everyone to participate and we urge those who feel strongly about safety on campus to continue their efforts to lobbby the administration for more services after all the events are over.