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Arts at Hayfield Summer Festival brings vibrant scene to Penn State/W-B

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2016 WVC Football Preview: Coughlin eyes 10th consecutive playoff appearance

<p>Welcome, college students, to your new surroundings.</p><p>We&#8217;re glad to see you arriving this week on the region&#8217;s many campuses, bringing loads of dorm room supplies and a seemingly inexhaustible amount of energy. Collectively, you add vitality to our communities and dollars to our economy &#8211; for which we are appreciative. We also remain grateful for the volunteer service that so many of you perform during your stays in Luzerne and surrounding counties.</p><p>We want you to consider this place your home. And, as with university students everywhere, we especially want you to be safe.</p><p>By all means, venture off campus to explore the broader community: its parks, riverside trails, shops, cinemas, entertainment venues and eateries.</p><p>But don&#8217;t be naive; crime happens here. Kirby Park, in Wilkes-Barre, for example, can be an enjoyable spot to play softball or simply sunbathe. However, it&#8217;s also been the site of sexual assaults.</p><p>Whether entering a dormitory elevator or exiting a downtown sub shop, always be aware of your surroundings. Follow common-sense precautions, many of which probably will be reinforced during this weekend&#8217;s campus orientation sessions. And take advantage of your university&#8217;s safety programs, such as requesting a companion to walk with you to, for instance, a campus parking lot.</p><p>Misericordia University, for one, offers excellent crime-prevention advice to its students and staffers via a &#8220;<a href="http://www.misericordia.edu/uploaded/documents/offices/safety/campus_safety_booklet_2016_2017.pdf" target="_blank">Campus Safety Handbook</a>.&#8221; Scan through it, or look at comparable material from your institution.</p><p>In Misericordia&#8217;s handbook, you&#8217;ll find important phone numbers (for the Campus Safety Department and the Sexual Assault Response Team, among others), as well as details on how to text anonymous tips about suspicious conduct, and how to receive timely warnings and emergency notifications. The comprehensive manual also includes tips for reducing your risk of becoming a victim. Among them: &#8220;Do not leave notes on your door with specifics about your location or how long you will be gone.&#8221;</p><p>Yes, surveillance cameras positioned on campus and in the community &#8211; and security personnel, armed or unarmed &#8211; provide some level of protection.</p><p>Your safety, however, depends largely on your good judgment.</p><p>Now that you&#8217;re on your own, don&#8217;t allow an ugly incident to mar what should be the time of your life.</p><style>
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Our Opinion: College students, take seriously your safety on campus and in community