As a student of Wilkes University, I take it personally when our campus is labeled as “unsafe.”

Not only does this scare away potential students from an education with incredible professors, a welcoming and tight-knit community and a vast amount of clubs and activities, it’s also untrue.
Living in Wilkes-Barre is just like living in any city. I won’t deny that there are areas we shy away from, but that is true anywhere.

I have attended this university for more than two years and have never felt unsafe on campus.
Public safety has a strong presence on campus and I see them multiple times a day.
At night, I will stay at the library late without fear of walking the short distance to my apartment because I know campus security as well as my peers are looking out for me.

Moreover, I have seen Wilkes take great strides to further enhance our safety. They have taken actions such as arming five out of the 16 public safety officers who have Act 120 training, which requires more than 700 hours of comprehensive training covering every aspect of law enforcement and firearm management.

Along with steps taken by public safety, students also take conscious steps to enhance their safety.
There have been efforts to raise awareness and ensure that no one walks alone. Even if a student doesn’t have a friend to walk with, they can call public safety and ask for an escort.

For those that argue further steps can be taken to increase campus safety, that it something else that is true of anywhere.

However, I am pleased with the improvements I have seen and can say first-hand that I feel safe.
As a student who is earning a well-rounded education, experiencing amazing opportunities and receiving guidance from outstanding professors, I wouldn’t want someone to miss out on an education here because they’re scared of what they’ve heard.