An alleged sexual assault that occurred in Warren Towers early Sunday morning is still a developing story, most of the facts of which haven’t yet been verified or fully released. But even without them, some key lessons can be taken away from this story, whether or not the allegations turn out to be true.
Firstly, students must remember that they are members of a large, metropolitan community, and that just because Warren is considered “home,” it is by no means the kind of “home” a Boston University freshman might be used to. A student living in a dorm should keep in mind those basic tenets taught to them at their very first floor meeting &-&- lock your doors, don’t drink to the point at which your judgment is impaired and exercise a healthy level of defensiveness. Just because you and your floormates are good friends, doesn’t mean your entire building is one big family. Though it’s easy to forget these rules until word of an assault or theft arises, it’s important for students to remain vigilant all the time, considering the bustling, chaotic community that BU is.
Perhaps more important is the responsibility of the university. At press time, there has been no word of any kind of notification for all Warren residents of the alleged assault. These are the kinds of discrepancies that a university cannot afford when it comes to establishing trust and credibility between students and administration. Regardless of the severity of the assault, it should be made known to the BU community that there has been a reported incident that compromised the safety of a student &-&- especially considering the sheer maelstrom of notifications that were sent out for a matter as minor as a loss of electricity in the School of Management. It is the students’ right to know, and the university’s duty to tell, of any occurrence on campus that hints at a serious breach of security and student safety.
Ultimately, students and administration need to work together to keep the BU campus as safe as possible. It’s strategic for the administration to work for a safer BU because keeping incident rates down and student morale up makes the university more attractive on paper. Likewise, it’s important for students to make wise choices for their own health and for the wellness of their friends, so BU can be as comfortable an environment as possible for both living and learning. A campus with fewer crises, along with a more efficient crisis-management system, is non-negotiable.
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