Most students avoided dark areas of campus while on their nightly commute Tuesday night, but Student Government members sought them out.
SG representatives and LSU staff members met at the University Public Safety Building before embarking on the “light walk,” in which teams of students and faculty roamed campus to find areas that may need an additional lighting or repairs to an existing light.
Michael Hooks, the director of the LSU Office of Environmental Health and Safety department, led the event and outlined the goals for the night.
“It’s very important that you mark the areas correctly and let us know what you find,” Hooks said to the participants.
Campus was divided into eight quadrants with eight staff members leading teams to inspect each section. Each team was given a map and asked to mark certain issues, such as where trees may need trimming around a light, where a light may be needed or where one may be burned out.
Laura Morrow, director of utility systems, led “Team Quad.” She said she was approaching the light walk from a mother’s perspective. She has a son who is a junior and a daughter who will begin college next year.
“Moms tend to be a little overprotective,” Morrow said. “I look at this as, ‘would I want my daughter walking out here by herself?’”
SG senators Shane Vallery and Amanda Fontenot joined Team Quad along with Morrow. Both senators sit on the Campus Affairs and Sustainability committee, which organized SG’s side of the event.
Vallery said he never had any problems with walking around campus at night, but also said being a man gives him a different perspective.
Fontenot said she avoids walking around campus after dark.
“Definitely, if it’s dark outside, I make a conscious decision [not to go outside],” Fontenot said. “Coming back to my dorm is terrifying because you can’t see anything.”
The areas on the map will be put in as work orders, and a high voltage unit will inspect each area, Morrow said. Some problems may require a long-term plan to get them fixed, but Morrow said the walk helps the Office of Facility Services get the plan together.
Morrow applauded SG for volunteering its time to fix campus issues for other students.
Psychology senior Katelyn McCoy said the quad and a stretch of pathway near Patrick F. Taylor Hall need additional lighting.
“Last night, I was coming out of the library, and it was very dark, around 1 o’clock in the morning,” McCoy said. “If you walk towards Patrick F. Taylor, there’s a little student walkway that has no lights on it. Since it gets dark earlier, it’s kind of unsafe.”
McCoy said she never felt threatened or endangered while on campus, but said she was “lucky.”
English junior Madeline Munch said she thought about lighting recently, though she said the number of lights might not be the problem.
Munch said there seems to be lights all over campus, but many might not be working or on at the time.
“A lot of these lights like to click off,” Munch said. “You’ll have one light and then a stretch of burnt out lights. It always happens around the French House and that little spot behind the Union.”
The outskirts of campus, near commuter lots, might need additional lighting, said English junior Sabrina Gallien. She said the area is sometimes well-lit, but the lights have a tendency to be off at night.

Gallery • 4 Photos

Ari Ross

Director of Environmental Health and Safety Michael Hooks discusses plans during the Light Walk on Nov. 3, 2015, in the Public Safety building.