Katie Scoggin, mass communication sophomore, has a Tuesday night class in Lockett Hall. During the time it takes her to walk from Lockett, to her East Campus apartment, she purposely talks on her cell phone. “I always stay on my phone when I’m walking back,” Scoggin said. “It’s really dangerous with all the shootings and robberies that have been going on.” Colorado Robertson, speaker of the Student Senate, said the Senate recently surveyed the lighting on campus. He said they identified 48 lights that were burned out, 12 lights that would benefit from having the trees around them cut and approximately 70 areas they feel could use more lighting. The Office of Facility Services has identified the sidewalk along the southern side of Patrick F. Taylor Hall near Pierre’s Landing snack shop as lacking adequate lighting. James Mayne, associate director of Facility Services, is one of three people who are responsible for lighting services. He described the sidewalk as being surrounding by a “tunnel of trees.” “We’re actually going to take some of those trees down,” he said. “Those trees … cast a pretty good shadow in that area.” Mayne said the office also plans to improve the area between the Memorial Tower and Middleton Library, between the Paul M. Hebert Law Center and the Episcopal Student Center, the bus stop at South Stadium Drive and Tower Drive and the bus stop at South Stadium Drive and West Parker Drive. “All of the projects should be done by the end of the semester,” Mayne said. Robertson said the survey was not scientific but just the opinion of students. “What an average student would see is what we identified,” Robertson said. “This is just our perception of this area.” “We try to maintain [the lights] as well as possible,” Maine said. “With the number of lights that we do have on campus … It’s not going to be perfect.” Maj. Lawrence Rabalais, LSU Police Department spokesperson, said police officers who work at night pay special attention to the lighting. “They e-mail me with those concerns and those issues, and I forward that to Facility Services,” he said. Mayne said the University has conducted “illumination studies” to ensure the campus is adequately lit. But despite the efforts, some students, such as Stephanie Leblanc, avoid walking on campus at night all together. “I don’t feel safe around campus,” said the biology freshman. Elizabeth Wagley, mass communication senior, said she does not feel “particularly unsafe” but said an increase in lighting would be a positive change. He said although Facility Services monitors the lighting, the department encourages students, faculty and staff to report any lighting problems. “We need as many eyes in here as we can, and we need to address these issues,” he said. Rabalais also stressed the need for campus help. “Crime can happen anywhere,” he said. “I want them to be diligent anywhere they’re on campus.”
—-Contact Lindsey Meaux at [email protected]