Our Voice

Last Sunday, five basketball players from  Duquesne University were shot and wounded on the Pittsburgh university campus. Two players suffered critical injuries while the other three players got away with minor injuries.
The incident happened in the midst of a student-union dance. A man was reportedly asked to leave from the event because of disruptive behavior. Once the man left, he ran into two basketball players who were walking near a dormitory. The three encountered each other and exchanged words.
The players attempted to calm the man down, but were shot. Three other players who rushed to their aid were also shot. Six to 12 shots were fired at the group of players.
The gunman was not a student at the university. Several witnesses saw him leave campus after the shots were fired.
This made us wonder, if it happened to them, can it happen to us?
Duquesne University is a private Catholic institution with nearly 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students.
According to the Princeton Review, Duquesne University has a life quality rating of 76. The ranks student happiness and security. On the other hand, GCSU’s life quality rating is 87.
Although higher than Duquesne, the risk of crime is still available. As you can see almost any person can commit a crime. Those who are not students commit most campus crimes. It can happen any time and any place.
GCSU experienced a similar incident last year, when a student was stabbed to death by a Milledgeville resident following a bar fight.
On a different note, even though crime is ubiquitous, GCSU has favorable safety factors.
Unlike Duquesne, GCSU is in a rural atmosphere. Duquesne is located in Pittsburgh, a thriving metropolis. The prevalence of crime is a lot lower here than it is in Pittsburgh.
But, please don’t test your luck. Here are safety measurements to take every time you go out.
Always party with two or three people you know well and trust. Make sure to have a cell phone with you and know emergency numbers to call for help.
And if you are drinking, take a cab, stay overnight, or have a designated driver. Impairment lowers your ability to judge and reason and can lead to making bad decisions.
Always play it safe.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Sep 22 2006. Filed under Our Voice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry