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Safety walk brings awareness to students, faculty
CAMPUS SECURITY LOOK FOR WAYS TO IMPROVE SAFETY AROUND CAMPUS
STORY AND PHOTOS BY JEANETTE WRIGHT ■>.
THE CLACKAMAS PRINT
As the w eather gets colder, and the days get shorter,
safety issues on campus after dark are more prominent.
The Campus Safety is adjusting to new m em bers and
equipment, and working to improve their performance and
practices. Changing on-campus dynamics, new laws, and new
infractions are prompting responses from the department.
On Nov. 1, the safety team began one o f their newest
practices, the Safety Walk. The walk was an idea proposed
by the Associated Student Government. Campus Safety
attended the recent ASG meeting to talk about their job
and what they do, and to ask for ideas on how to make the
campus safer. The Safety Walk was brought up, and Philip
Zerzan, CCC’s director o f campus safety, was enthusiastic
about the idea, having seen it in practice during his years
at Portland State University. Zerzan plans to make the walk
biannual, surveying campus once in the Spring, and once
in the Fall.
The purpose of the Safety Walk is to provide an opportunity
to identify safety problems on campus, especially after dark.
Several students in the ASG, joined Zerzan on the walk,
along with members of his safety team, Public Information
Officer Lori Hall and other faculty.
“I t’d be interesting to see what^you guys as students
can pull o.ut o f it,” said Hall. “You know, any changes or
recommendations you guys can make.” They walked through
the campus and along the limits o f the CCC property line,
talking and taking notes oh their observations.
Students are encouraged to participate in the walk, and
share feedback with the safety team. No students outside of
the ASG showed up, but Zerzan said that even at PSU, low
student involvement is common. Zerzan said it’s important
for students to voice their observations and questions, so
the safety team can learn about student-specific concerns.
“I think [the safety walk] gave
people some familiarity o f what
campus looks like after dark.”
- Philip Zerzan
ASG Vice President Daniel Romero Vazquez said he
believes the safety walk w ill be helpful in providing
reference for the safety team. Vazquez was very active
in looking for problems, walking ahead of the group and
noticing dark corners and lights that were out.
Lighting was the largest problem noticed around campus.
The campus lights are programmed on a timer, to turn on at
certain times, but not all the lights run on the same system.
Lights around the McLoughlin and Niemeyer buildings were
not on yet, even though the campus was quickly getting
darker. Zerzan said the team will adjust the timers to make
sure the lights are all coming on at appropriate times.
The trees near Streeter Hall also posed a lighting problem,
and by 6:30 p.m., seeing past the foliage without a flashlight
was impossible. Behind Pauling is also bare of lights, and
Safety Officer Tatevik Ambaryan said the cluster of boulders
behind Pauling is a problem area, with people hiding behind
the rocks to sleep. Large bushes around the building corners
also block vision, which adds to the issue of low lighting.
The visibility problems were magnified by the daylight-
bright lights in the new parking lot behind Barlow.
“Recognizing the danger is a requirement for people in
leadership positions,” said ASG member and multicultural
am bassador Shiho Saito. CCC and the safety team are
working hard to make the campus safer for everyone, and
the Safety Walk is just one way to raise awareness for both
the students and the team.
“I think [the safety walk] gave people some familiarity
o f what the campus looks like after dark,” said Zerzan.
Lights and shadows aren’t ASG’s only concern, though.
Saito is hoping to get longer operating hours for the ASG,
to better serve students. One big lim itation keeping that
from happening is that the facility keys must be turned
in early in the evening.
Saito wants CCC to move to key cards, which would enable
ASG members to be available later in the day, and make
opening and closing much easier. When asked about the issue,
Zerzan said CCC is in the middle of a three-year plan headed
in that direction, and switching to card keys is his top priority.
Addressing the issues that came to light on the walk js just
the beginning, and involving more students in the process is
important. ASG feels that the Safety Walk is a good launching
pad for a safer campus, and better communication between
students and faculty.
*«(*•
Campus Safety Info.
Oregon City Campus:
Phone: (503) 594-6650
E-mail: campussafety@clackamas.edu
Location: McLoughlin Hall, Room 114
Harmony Campus:
Phone: (503) 594-0649
Location: Harmony Campus, Room 113
CCC Director of campus safety
Philip Zejrzan: philip.zerzan@clackamas.edu
ASG students and the safety team walk around campus identifying safety problems,
Clackamas Print
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theclackam asprint.net
November 15,2017