YUSU: enlighten us

Student safety has continued to take a back seat as YUSU fail to deliver on a promise to improve the lighting on campus.

Inadequate lighting on and around campus has been a topic for concern recently due to a number of reported attacks on students in previous years. While the problem areas remain dark, students continue to feel unsafe.

Vision has received several complaints from students about poor lighting. Rosie Robinson, a second year Economics student describes the walk back through campus after an evening shift in Derwent cafeteria as “lonely and intimidating.” Areas of particular concern include the Health Centre, the circumference of the lake, and the alleyway between Wentworth and Heslington Road.

University Press Officer David Garner informed Vision that the latter isn’t University owned, so the University cannot be held accountable for the inadequate lighting provision present there. He did note that the University works with landowners to try and improve areas of lighting off-campus.

YUSU Welfare Officer Laura Borisovaite agreed that poor lighting “is an issue that becomes more persistent as nights get longer.”

“The University needs to make sure that maintenance is up-kept at all times in order to ensure the safety of their students, and myself and other officers will be working towards ensuring this.”

However, despite questioning, Borisovaite did not address how YUSU proposed to improve the situation, and instead advised that students “refrain from walking on their own at night time.” The results of a Union General Meeting last term mandated YUSU “To Push For Greater Lighting Around Campus,” as of June 25 2010. As far as Vision are aware no attempt has been made to adhere to this policy.

The University continues to invest heavily in ‘five star’ accommodation on Heslington East, including increased security measures. As a result, the fixing and installing of lights in dangerous, dark areas around the main campus has suffered. Last year, University Press Officer David Garner shirked on the issue, claiming that “campus is not badly lit,” in response to the Women’s Committee march which took place in December. Named ‘Reclaim The Night’, the march aimed “to protest against the inadequately lit areas around campus” which they believed “to be of concern to both male and female students.”

No action has yet to be taken to ensure the safety of University of York students. Women’s Committee officer, Janey Stephenson, shared the following sentiment: “Sadly this issue has still not been resolved, leaving students feeling vulnerable. We are continuing to pursue this problem and encourage any students who are unhappy with the current lighting situation to join us on our ‘Reclaim The Night’ march on Tuesday of Week 9.”