Students voice concern over poor parking lot lighting

Robyn Krock
State Hornet
Published Online October 4, 1999

Lack of safety at night in CSUS parking lots was a major concern expressed by students at a lecture and discussion Wednesday night with author and women's rights activist Elena Featherston.

Featherston asked the audience if anyone had a specific issue regarding women's rights and safety on the CSUS campus. Student Fred Gardon voiced his concern over the lack of lighting in the parking lots at night. Many women in the audience agreed.

One woman said it seemed that "the people who were walking around at night were mostly women."

A freshman said that new student orientations include regarding night rides and escort services. But another student said that even some of the drivers of those services were frustrated. They frequently have to ask women to wait up to 15 minutes for a ride, and many of the women have to wait outside.

Chris Comas, president of the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance at CSUS and a member of several ASI committees, said that the issue of parking lot lighting has been raised before, with insufficient results.

Comas pointed out that two sexual assaults involving female students have been reported already this school year. One assault took place on campus and was recorded in the campus police log printed in the State Hornet.

The other assault took place approximately a mile from campus. A description of the suspect in that assault was posted on Hornet Online.

Featherston said university administration is "responsible for providing for (students') safety and failure to do so is a form of negligence." She reiterated her main message that in order to make change, people must form alliances.

"When you can show your administration that there is a real solidarity among men and women of this campus that crosses boundaries of race, gender, age ... you increase your power 100-fold."

Featherston's appearance was co-sponsored by the Women's Resource Center and the FMLA. The audience of about 50 included mostly female students, but seven or eight men and a few faculty members also attended.

Many students who had spoken during the discussion, and many who hadn't, stood in small groups afterwards talking and exchanging contact information. Comas pointed out that this was a great beginning, but a lot of work is needed.

"I left with a lot of really, really good ideas, and no time to do any of them," Comas said.