ON MONDAY, OCTOBER, 2, NORTHWESTERN ADMINISTRATION RELEASED AN EMAIL ABOUT “SEVERAL INCIDENTS OF ARMED ROBBERIES”. THE EMAIL SAID THAT SOME OF THOSE ROBBERIES “IMPACTED NORTHWESTERN COMMUNITY MEMBERS”. IT ALSO SAID THE ROBBERIES “TEND TO OCCUR AT NIGHT OR EARLY IN THE MORNING”. CONSIDERING THAT MOST STUDENTS CONSIDER EVANSTON AND CAMPUS TO BE RELATIVELY SAFE, THE EMAIL WAS A SHOCK. SENIOR MICHAEL BARTHELEMY SAYS THE EMAIL SURPRISED HIM, BUT ALSO MADE A LOT OF SENSE.
[Michael Barthelemy] “I was honestly very surprised because I haven’t experienced any of that to myself while living off campus, while walking around campus, but there was a part of me that wasn’t completely shocked just because I have been seeing some, like, odd activity I guess you could say.”
HE ALSO NOTED THAT ISOLATED INCIDENTS OF CRIME AND VIOLENCE OCCUR FAIRLY FREQUENTLY IN EVANSTON.
[MB] What happened with last spring with the active shooter on campus, there’s just these little blips that happen in Evanston. I mean, I’ve lived in Evanston all my life. There are these blips in crime that sort of just happen. It’s not a consistent thing at all, but it was something that I wasn’t 100% shocked to see.
KAAVYA BUTANEY, A SOPHOMORE AT NORTHWESTERN, WAS SHOCKED MOSTLY BECAUSE THE EMAIL WAS THE FIRST TIME SHE HAD HEARD OF THE INCIDENTS.
[KAAVYA BUTANEY] I was a little surprised to see it, I think. I haven’t heard about these robberies happening. So it’s a little like, I feel like those things kind of would have spread through word of mouth or something not but like it since they’re sending an official statement about it. Now, I would have expected to see an initial statement about…like a statement about it from the university earlier.
BUTANEY THINKS PART OF THE REASON FOR THIS LACK OF COMMUNICATION IS DUE TO THE GAP BETWEEN NORTHWESTERN AND THE WIDER EVANSTON COMMUNITY.
[KB] I mean, Northwestern has not really connected to the Evanston community. Like we are separate from it to a strong extent, in the fact that like, most of the like, specifically as like an underclassman who lives on campus. So it makes sense. I wouldn’t have really heard about it. Unless the university would have said something.
BARTHELEMY LIVES OFF CAMPUS, BUT EVEN HIS TRAVELS INTO CHICAGO PROPER HAVEN’T CAUSED THAT MUCH CONSTERNATION.
[MB] I am in Chicago quite frequently. I do work down there a handful of times a week. And so there was part of me again, that’s a little shocked that it’s happening near the Chicago campus because that is, you know, a very, like, prime neighborhood, where you don’t really see that sort of thing go on.
BARTHELEMY ALSO SAID THAT LIVING IN OR NEAR A BIG CITY DOES OPEN THE RISK OF EXPOSURE TO CRIME.
[MB] It is Chicago, it is a big city and every single big city, there’s going to be crime and there’s no way that you can fully stop crime in a big city like Chicago, like anywhere in the country, not just Chicago. So there was again that thought of this is just more a blip than a pattern, I would say where I wouldn’t say we have some sort of string of robberies and some sort of scheme that’s robbing students.
BUTANEY SAID SHE DIDN’T EXPECT THE NEWS TO HAVE A LARGE IMPACT ON PEOPLE’S TRAVEL HABITS.
[KB] I feel like it’s possible that people would be like, go out less, but like, I don’t know how probable that is.
BOTH ALSO NOTED THAT THERE ARE PLENTY OF WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF WHEN TRAVELING, ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU’RE ALONE.
[KB] I tend to know where I’m walking. And like just, I guess, like, try to keep an eye on where I am. It’s not like I’m like specifically looking for anything that’s just like a habit because I get lost really easily.
[MB] If it isn’t the daytime, if it is any sort of time or dusk where it’s night and you get on a train car and you’re by yourself get out on a train car when someone else is because then you get that added security of having someone else that’s there. if you get on the train, there seems to be a shady figure and you feel unsafe, get off that train car, move train cars, there’s no reason to risk it. And then beyond that, sort of keep to yourself. Don’t try and stare at anyone too long. Just try and mind your own business while you’re on the train. Don’t bring out any sort of flashy belongings.
THE ADMINISTRATION EMAIL ALSO PROVIDED SEVERAL SAFETY TIPS. ASIDE FROM TIPS LIKE USING WELL-LIT AND BUSY SIDEWALKS, NOT USING HEADPHONES OR EARBUDS, AND KEEPING VALUABLES OUT OF SIGHT, THE ADMINISTRATION ALSO PROVIDED SEVERAL SAFETY RESOURCES. THOSE RESOURCES INCLUDE SAFE RIDE, CAMPUS SHUTTLES, NUGUARDIAN, SAFETY ESCORTS, AND MORE.
BARTHELEMY DID ADD THAT HE HOPES THE INCIDENTS AREN’T PART OF A LARGER TREND.
[MB] Yeah, just sad about whoever got robbed. It’s a tragedy. But yeah, hopefully this doesn’t become a pattern.
AND HOPEFULLY NORTHWESTERN STUDENTS CONTINUE TO STAY SAFE AND AWARE WHEN THEY’RE GOING OUT ON THE TOWN.
FOR WNUR NEWS, I’M BRENDAN PREISMAN.
