By: Endiya Watkins
Staff Writer
Wingate University has been battling a series of increasingly frequent crimes and suspicious activity on campus this year, from car theft to weapons on campus, to assaults. Worries surrounding the safety and security at Wingate reached a fever pitch after a student was reportedly “attacked by a knife,” according to a follow-up email from Campus Safety Chief Mike Easley.
As Wingate continues to expand its student body and popularity, there will inevitably be more instances of delinquency and violence on campus in the future. Campus Safety is working hard in its efforts to keep students out of harm’s way.
Unfortunately, however, there are a multitude of factors fighting back against Easley and his Campus Safety officers. The sheer lack of preventive measures such as security or barriers to enter our campus limits their ability to address incidents before they occur, which does not ensure students safety in the final analysis. There is only so much Campus Safety can do and Easley’s staff is not solely responsible for every student’s well-being.
The bulk of this responsibility falls back on us: the students. We are adults now. The security and familiarity of living with your parents, in your hometown or your native country is over. It is up to us as individuals to be vigilant and take steps to ensure our security as we navigate through this newfound independence.
This does not mean constantly being on edge and staying in your dormitory. Being vigilant can look like walking with a friend at night rather than alone to ensure you both get back to your rooms safely or keeping your doors locked to prevent break-ins, whether it’s your car or dorm room. It could also involve keeping crowds to a minimum in residence halls and making sure you know who is in your space at all times.
A major contributor to on-campus crime is delinquent non-students coming to campus and endangering others after discovering parties posted by students on social media to encourage a large turnout. This occurred infamously in 2021, when a student was pistol-whipped by a non-student in the middle of a party, spreading fear across campus. That incident led to the implementation of strict rules by Campus Safety for parties soon after the incident. No one had personally invited this dangerous individual, nor did anyone know he was amongst them. Such instances can be avoided by using discretion when deciding where to send party invites and flyers.
Most importantly, students are urged to say something if they see anything suspicious on campus. Even if it seems minuscule, student voices matter, and reporting a possible danger to Campus Safety could lead to the preservation of student property and lives.
However, crime on our campus will not stop until action is taken by Wingate administrators. We need our leaders to provide us protection from outsiders who may see this university as an easy target for theft and mayhem with no one to stop them. As much as being self-preserving adults helps, we are vulnerable young people who are not permitted to have any tools for personal protection outside of self-defense tactics, which may not be helpful for physically weaker or disabled students.
Large-scale action must be taken to prevent Wingate students from being harmed and feeling unsafe, and it is going to take more than self-defense Lyceums and reactionary emails to do so.
Endiya Watkins is a junior from Dallas, N.C., majoring in History and Communication.
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