Gabby DeMarchi
Editor-in-Chief
Spring has finally sprung on the Springfield College campus. SC students are embracing this beautiful weather we have been blessed with. Many students can be seen playing sports, lounging or studying on the many greens around campus. The blinds and windows have been opened, and the hibernation is finally over.
While the weather has been absolutely breathtaking this past week, the recent bustle of activity on campus has unfortunately brought a string of unwanted criminal events as well. In the past two weeks, three different incidents were reported.
“Easter Sunday we had two rooms in Reed entered through the windows. Friday into Saturday morning we had another at International,” Chief of Campus Police Judy Jackson explained.
Also reported last week, a female student went to use the restroom in the Campus Union. As she went to the bathroom, she left her wallet on the counter. When we came back out, the wallet was gone.
“Fortunately the officer [investigating suggested] we check the trash cans, and there it was minus the whole two dollars she had,” said Jackson. With the weather getting significantly nicer, criminal acts like these are more common.
“Spring is here. Crime will go up, no matter where you are,” Jackson stated matter-of-factly. “The opportunities come up just like the flowers do. You’ve got to lock your room door and your room windows, even if it is hot.”
With this newfound lovely weather, more and more stu- dents are spending quality time outdoors. Students tend to get caught up in activities that are happening outside, and they forget to keep an eye on their personal belongings.
“Be careful of your back- packs,” Jackson stated. “[Stu- dents] leave them on the bleachers or the ground. They just drop [them]. [People] have their whole lives in their backpacks too.”
Jackson also brought up the fact that students also need to be careful with their cars and how they leave them.
“Now is the time where people leave their windows half- way down and leave everything on the seats,” Jackson said.
Jackson pressed that students need to simply be aware. Make sure all windows are up and valuable belongings in the car are brought into their residence halls.
Jackson also realizes that with the weather getting nicer, students are more apt to head out to parties at friends’ houses and the entertainment district in downtown Springfield.
“When [the students] are out having fun at their parties, they need to watch out for one another. They need to come back with a group. They can’t be wandering around. They just have to take care of one another,” Jackson stressed.
Jackson also gave some helpful tips on what to do if any student, staff or faculty member sees any suspicious activity going on around campus.
“If you’re a student and you see something that doesn’t look right to you, pick up your cell phone and call us [Public Safety] and we’ll go check it out. We need to have people give us a call,” explained Jackson.
The importance of being self-aware and conscious of one’s belongings and surroundings is the best and most important way to avoid any type of criminal act.
“Enjoy your spring, but hang on to your property and personal safety,” Jackson said.