Turning a Student’s Mindset From Caution to Confidence with This Campus Safety Must-Have

One of the most important features on a college or university campus isn’t its historical architecture, sprawling vistas or state-of-the-art facilities, but the sense of safety students feel as they move from point A to point B. 

It’s no secret the role that safety plays in empowering students to reach their full potential, but did you know that there are some relatively simple things you can do to create a safer, more secure environment where students can thrive?

Adding ambient pathway lighting, extending campus Wi-Fi to areas with poor cell service and ensuring visible access to emergency services are all impactful measures that can help students feel safe and confident – whether they’re running before the sun rises, heading to the gym across campus or walking home after a night out.

The best part? All of these can be achieved with a single security solution: the blue light tower.  

To highlight just how much of a difference blue light towers can make for students, let’s focus on one example: a freshman named Sarah heading out for her morning run. By following her on two very different runs, we’ll see how her environment – and sense of safety – shape her mindset and experience. 

Run 1: When the Environment Steals the Joy from Running 

Sarah’s preparing for an early-morning run through a dimly lit, isolated area on campus. Anxious and a little uneasy, she’s tightening her headlamp, grabbing her safety gear and going over the route in her head. 

Today, it’s a route that doesn’t have any street lamps or blue light towers, where no one would be around if she needed help. A chilling thought, but a reality as a runner. It’s OK, she’ll do a short run today – it certainly won’t set a personal best. “Let’s just get it done,” she thinks. 

Taking off out the door, she’s a little sluggish – tense from concentrating on every small sound around her. Her focus is on her external environment, not on strengthening her inner resolve. She’s slower than usual, lacking confidence in her stride because she can’t quite see the ground beneath her footsteps. Her route shortens with every uncertain step. 

By the time she returns to her dorm, her legs are heavy – not from the run itself, but from the weight of constant vigilance. She’s relieved the run is finally over and she’s home safe. 

Run 2: An Empowering, Enlightening Run on Campus

With a final stretch and a little bounce from side to side, Sarah’s getting ready to bolt out the door for her favorite part of the day: her morning run. 

Today will be a long one in preparation for her race in a few weeks. She can’t wait to run across the entire campus. She loves when everyone’s asleep and the stillness around her brings the clarity she craves from her runs. 

Even at this hour, there’s light in the darkness. Sarah feels seen and safe, because she’s mapped out her route based on where the campus emergency towers are located. She knows that visibility will be better, with the towers providing the perfect ambient lighting to illuminate her path without distracting from the scenery. She knows, too, that help is within arm’s reach and that her route is regularly monitored by police and campus safety officers, a reassuring feeling that stays with her throughout her entire run.

As she approaches the quad, she wonders if there will still be frost on the grass or if spring has finally sprung. She’ll know for sure if she hears the birds chirping along her path! In just a few short weeks, the whole campus will be in bloom. Nevermind her allergies; this is her favorite season for running – and for enjoying the campus. 

Nine miles already? She’s nearly finished with her run and starts making her way back to the dorm, feeling energized and accomplished, especially after checking her watch to see that she’s set a personal best. That’s sure to give Sarah an extra pep in her step today!

The Power of a Safe Environment

In both scenarios, Sarah’s environment significantly shaped her experience. In the first, it was clear that she felt uneasy and unsafe, limiting her ability to enjoy her run. In the second, visible safety beacons reassured Sarah, giving her the freedom to fully embrace her run and transforming it into a source of empowerment. 

Although these scenarios are fictional, they’re grounded in the reality that campus safety plays a critical role in the student experience (whether runners or not). And by fostering a sense of safety with security solutions such as blue light towers, colleges and universities can help students like Sarah to explore, engage and thrive without caution on campus.