Safety. A big word, carrying a lot of weight and meaning for each student, staff, and faculty member at the University of New Mexico. How do we promote a safe yet open campus?
Over the course of the past year, ASUNM has taken a special interest in the safety of each student on campus. We want to make sure that YOU feel both comfortable and at home at UNM, and we have taken some big steps towards creating a safer environment for YOU.
Each year, ASUNM is able to ask for capital outlay money from the Legislature. We focus on areas throughout campus that may need renovation, remodeling or revamping explicitly in the interest of students.
This year, with no surprise, YOUR student government decided to put the emphasis of the project on student safety.
Large portions of the students on campus are commuter students, traveling to and from school each day. Paying close attention to these numbers, we decided to hone in on parking lots where large majorities of students are parking throughout the day and shuttling to and from campus.
When noting areas on campus that seem unsafe, parking lots and parking structures always seem to be high on the list. Putting both the commuter statistic and the parking lot concerns together, ASUNM decided to focus on making parking lots safer for our commuter students.
South Lot, by University Stadium, has been our primary goal. We want to make sure to provide students with parking areas that are safe both during the day and after hours. The shuttle service runs until 10 p.m., and if a student is to exit the shuttle at 9:55 p.m. in South Lot, the parking area is dark, gloomy, and very ominous.
It can seem unsafe and empty. This parking lot also houses up to 1,710 parking spots, which is a large amount of students who could be influenced by safety measures in this area. ASUNM has been asking the Legislature for funding for more lighting structures in South Lot for increased safety, and as of this past week, we have been rewarded $135,000.
Although this specific project will not be able to cure all safety issues on campus, we are hopeful that we are taking small steps towards making both a safer campus and more friendly environment for all students.
This is YOUR campus, and as YOUR student government, we will continue to try and support you any way we can!
Jenna Hagengruber is the 2015-16 ASUNM president. She can be reached at asunmprez@unm.edu.
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