For many students who have felt threatened or faced sexual assault, the green light emergency phones scattered around campus are a welcome sight. While there has not been a need for them on an everyday basis, it would be a tragedy if someone needed help and found the nearest phone did not work.
That was a concern of ASMSU, MSU’s undergraduate student government, when it passed a bill last year encouraging the university to install more phones at the Brody Complex and repair the phones on campus that did not work.
Nearly a year later, MSU has yet to complete those requests.
As a source of comfort and protection for campus residents, the green light phones are utilities that need to be kept in working order.
True, they’re expensive. Each costs $20 a month to operate, and there are more than 150 phones on campus - that makes $3,000 each month, excluding the cost of new installations. New phones are installed with new buildings, and occasionally they are added in areas without coverage, but it is also very costly to bury the necessary wires.
MSU police confirm funding is the biggest roadblock for major repairs and additions to the system.
But they’re a necessary expense that may come in handy someday - although we hope that day never comes for a student.
A 1998 report found 10 of 62 emergency phones examined by The State News did not work. Problems included phones with broken lines, poor speakers or burned-out lights.
Some phones, police officials said, are deliberately damaged. It’s a shame to see these important safety measures defaced when they are only around for everybody’s safety. Repairs just drain money out of the general fund that could be used for other system improvements.
The green light phone system should not become a victim of universitywide cost-cutting measures in response to reduced funding from the state.
Campus safety should be a paramount concern. There is no excuse to slack off on such an important issue.
It’s fortunate most students generally feel safe on campus, either because they travel in groups or because the safety measures that have been taken provide a measure of security to them.
What MSU needs to do now is to make sure the safety measures that are in place - especially the phones - provide not only a sense of security, but actually protect students.
