Alison, ‘12

I finished up with college visits and tours a little over two years ago, but one thing I distinctly remember about all of them was the communal groan overheard whenever someone’s parent was bold enough to ask a question. Ironically enough, these questions were often the most important in terms of academics and safety. Did we seniors care about such things? Certainly not.As safety is a fairly common concern when moving from high school to a college campus, I feel it is an important one to address at least once. I have never felt unsafe at U of R. I can’t recall a single instance in which I felt unsure of my surroundings, nervous about what might be behind me, or threatened in any way. Our is different from most campuses in that it’s set in the middle of a suburban neighborhood rather than a bustling city or quite rural area. We are smack in-between two different counties, and we have an on-campus police force with a presence that is notable without being noticeable.University of Richmond is well-lit at all times, with the exception of most short-cuts through the woods that shouldn’t be taken at night anyways (and rarely are).  The school is outfitted with those little phone boxes that have the obnoxious blinking blue lights and say “Emergency” down the side, just in case! They’re easy to locate (again, they have that annoying light) and, I can only assume since I’ve never actually investigated this, to use. Freshman orientation is jam-packed with safety seminars, both college-specific and general, especially for women.I’m going to make a confession that my mother will probably read and let her jaw drop – I almost never use the buddy system. I have walked the full length of the campus at 1am with no repercussions. Later on in the semester, you’ll find that few people want to stay up at the library with you until all hours of the night. Now, having said that, you should try to walk in pairs when possible.  Certain situations call for accompaniment more than others. I would not walk alone after 2am, and I would not walk alone off-campus after dark. Never leave a party or lodge by yourself, even if your dorm is a short walk away.  Using your common sense, you should be alright. This campus is very safe, but be wary of over-confidence. Numero uno safety concern? Night time traffic around the curvy roads and construction sites. As long as you don’t wander around off campus in the nearby roads under cover of darkness though, you should be a-ok.