A lot of college students enter their freshman year with high hopes of freedom, parties, the excitement of meeting new people and making new friends. While all of this might be new and exciting, some things need to be kept in mind while having fun and living the college life.
There are definite precautions both young men and women entering Eastern Michigan University can take. Some of these precautions can seem a tad over-the-top; the truth is each one has legitimate value. Safety
precautions don’t only apply to physical safety — they also apply to protecting personal items.
A lot of college students are aware of the Michigan Public Sex Offender Registry; most students are not aware there is a way to search for students, faculty and staff who you might see on campus everyday. The Internet is not the place it used to be. It’s great for schoolwork, social networking and keeping in touch with the people as you probably already know, and it has become a better alternative for a lot of students in terms of finding dates, hook-ups and relationships.
Online dating can be a fun and a better way to meet people nowadays than a bar or party, because people can build friendships before actually meeting in person. It also gets the awkward conversation out of the way, but a lot of times it can also be dangerous.
When you are talking to a person over the Internet, you might not stop to think about whom this person really is. This person could be telling the truth, but you never know. There are a lot of sources out there that can help protect you, letting you get information before actually meeting someone, rather than taking what they say at face value.
There is Google, and though you might not find everything on a potential romantic interest, it could save you from a disaster date. Google can show pull up documents of past crimes or articles related to the person who you are meeting.
There is also a website called OTIS, which stands for Offender Tracking Information System. OTIS will let you know if a person has been convicted of a crime in Michigan.
There are sex offenders in every college. Assuming each sex offender is equal might be easy, but not all offenses are. People have been put on the sex offender list for small offenses like urinating on a drunken night out, while others are on the list for much more serious offenses such as rape. The Public Sex Offender Registry will explain the level of each offense.
These sites can be extremely handy after meeting someone at a bar. Precautions like these are obviously not 100 percent, but they do make a difference.
Liz Paffel, an education major, has tried the online dating scene. She suggests when meeting someone, meet in public.
“I was stupid, and went to his house to meet him, but I came up with a code word,” she said. “If it got shady, I would text my friend the secret word, and he would call me to tell me that I had to go home for some reason. That is the best advice that I have.”
Paffel has not looked anyone up on the Michigan sex offender registry, but says if she became suspicious she definitely would.
Ben Landsman, an alum who graduated from EMU in 2006, lived in a house with a friend, and decided to let a random guy he didn’t know sublease a room. Landsman and his roommate did not consider not knowing their future roommate very well would be a problem — because they were guys — and weren’t worried about their physical safety. Landsman, who now owns an online magazine, thinks a lot differently now. Letting a random
stranger into his home was a huge mistake.
Landsman and his roommate woke up one night to a smoke-filled house. There was an altercation and the new roommate was not happy with Landsman. This roommate he didn’t know anything about lit the house they were living in on fire.
Landsman lost everything, and says besides knowing who your living with, there are some basic things everyone should do when moving into a new place.
Be aware of whom you let come into your house or apartment during parties. It is fun to have parties in college, but it gets dangerous when random people off the streets try to come in. You never know what they might have with them. Make sure you know whom your guests are.
If you are living in a dorm, there are locks on your door for a reason. Lock them when you are not around, when you are sleeping or if you are in the room.
There are steps the university takes to keep residents safe, but those are not always foolproof.
Just because you might not be the type of person to walk into someone else’s room and grab a laptop, cell phone, money, a camera or other valuable items doesn’t mean your neighbors aren’t. You also don’t know if someone is in your building who should not be there. Protect your belongings.
Keep passwords on your computers, so that if someone decides to snag it they can’t do anything with it.
There are also combination locks made for laptops. Get one, and make sure not to keep the code, which is normally 000 on it, because that could be the first three numbers that someone decides to try if they really want your computer.
It is good to keep a lock box you can lock to a bed or some other large object. All you have to do to attach it to something is get a bike lock and wrap it around the handle. Lock boxes are good for checks and other personal items you would not want others to have access to.
A lot of students take late-night classes, get late-night dinners or just like to wander around campus at night. Campus can be interesting at night, but if for some reason you don’t feel safe and you are alone, or even if you are with friends and you want some extra protection, there is a free service on campus called SEEUS.
You will probably see them around campus in yellow shirts with walkie-talkies attached to their hips. Don’t be afraid to approach one and ask them to walk you to your dorm, car or some other on-campus destination.
Make sure you have your student ID or know your student number though, because to use that service you need to be a student.
Having newfound freedom is fun and exciting. College is all about new experiences and there is no reason to walk around afraid, but if there are precautions offered free of charge, and small steps available to help keep you safe, why not take a few minutes to look in to them? They can make a difference between an amazing college experience and a college experience you might regret.
Always use your gut instinct. If you are on campus and need police help, keep in mind that calling 911 will connect you to the local police department as opposed to EMU DPS. Remember The EMU police department has a separate emergency number, and program that into your phone, 734-487-1222.
Have fun this school year, and be safe!
