East Lansing doesn't have a sniper lurking atop Beaumont Tower waiting to target unsuspecting students as they scurry about during the wee morning hours.

While there have been some scary things taking place near campus in the last few weeks - one man died when two Lansing residents were shot on Feb. 29 at the 7-Eleven on Grand River and Michigan Avenues and two others were killed Thursday in a shooting at the Institute of Traditional Asian Martial Arts on Grand River Avenue - these events are by no means random acts.

They were, though, isolated incidents that have caused an increased amount of fear in some students. And while a concern for safety is good, paranoia that leads to avoiding doing everyday activities is bad.

People need to keep things in perspective and realize East Lansing is no war zone. The homicides were unfortunate and scary, but they shouldn't cause students and residents to believe this is an unsafe place to live.

For those who still feel uneasy, there are programs available to keep students reassured about their safety. State Walk, a service provided by Alpha Phi Omega, chaperones walks for students from the library to anywhere on campus. The program runs from 7 p.m. to midnight, Monday-Thursday.

In addition to programs like this, students can have safe habits. When walking alone at night, they can be alert of their surroundings and avoid talking on their cell phone or listening to music. The best way is not to put oneself in overly dangerous situations, which include walking around campus alone in the dark.

When incidents like Thursday's murders happen, it shouldn't be the cause for more precaution, but a reminder to keep good safety habits.

These programs that promote campus safety, however, need to get the word out to students about their availability, and they need to make sure they are adequately staffed.

It may be scary to hear about murders that occur just a couple hundred feet from a dorm, but we need to remember that, overall, this is a fairly safe campus. Let these occurrences be a reminder to be responsible and safe.