Campus programs such as State Walk are seeing increased foot traffic, and members say the rise could be caused by several factors such as an increase in promotion or the recent crimes in the area.
English senior Katie Eiguren, who is vice president of service for Alpha Phi Omega, the organization that runs State Walk, said she often sees an increase of students who use the program after a crime like Sunday's early-morning shooting that left one person dead.
"You want to feel safe on campus, and that's what we're trying to provide, is comfort for the students," Eiguren said. "It doesn't matter if you're male or female walking home alone at night. I think either way you're going to feel uncomfortable and unsafe walking home. We're just providing a service to help you feel safer."
Eiguren said she has noticed the number of students who use State Walk has nearly tripled this year.
State Walk is offered in the east wing of the Main Library from 7 p.m. to midnight, Monday-Thursday. Two volunteers walk with students anywhere on campus, and for safety reasons, volunteers have to be either a male and a female or two females.
Because walking alone at night can be risky, members of Alpha Phi Omega feel that State Walk can eliminate those risks and provide a safe environment for MSU students.
"I think safety is one of the most important things, and you don't want to discourage someone from going to the library at night to study," Alpha Phi Omega member and advertising freshman Laura Daien said.
State Walk volunteers said that their service is a free alternative to other forms of transportation.
"You could take the bus home, but you could go outside and wait at the bus stop for 20 minutes and something could happen," Daien said.
Students who have used State Walk said that it was a benefit to them after studying late at the library.
"I live all the way over in Wilson, so it is kind of a walk," said physiology and premedical sophomore Steve Rives, who was walked back to South Complex on Wednesday night. "I'd like somebody to walk with, even though I am a guy."
Eiguren told a story about a walker on Tuesday who told the volunteers that she felt safer walking with them.
"She didn't feel safe walking on campus anymore, and she'd rather have someone walk her back to her dorm," she said. "It just reminded us of the purpose of the program and what we're there for."
MSU Police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor suggested that students be alert to their surroundings, not talk on cell phones or listen to music while walking alone, walk confidently and assertively, vary routes to be unpredictable and walk with others whenever possible.
She said that if students are approached, or even if they see anything suspicious, they should use one of the more than 90 green light phones around campus.
"If one person gets back safe," Daien said, "that's one less thing that we have to read about."
