<p>Hey Macstudent, if you are around can you shed some light on the current campus safety issue? My mom is a little freaked out by some of the articles in the MacWeekly as to what happened in February, what do you think? Thanks.</p>
<p>Hey daviban.
Basically, four students got robbed one night while walking back from the arts building to the dorms. This was very unusual.
Every year there are a few incidents of an upperclassman, walking back to their off campus housing alone late at night, getting robbed by someone. Those incidents are scary, but can be prevented by walking in groups. Mac offers a safewalk program, where two students will walk with you wherever you need to go, I think up to a mile off campus, and since all underclassmen live on campus they're not at risk for this sort of thing.
The February mugging is unusual because it happend before midnight, on campus, and to a group of students. In response, students have been pushing for more on campus security, and the administration seems to have agreed (there are already security guards and emergency phones, so I think they're increasing the number of guards). The Mac Weekly is used as a means for students to express their concerns to the administration, so that's what your mom is seeing, making it seem like a bit of a bigger deal than it really is.
My reaction to this is that it's a completely isolated incident that won't likely be repeated. I've walked across campus by myself at 4 AM many, many times and always felt completely safe. This one event won't change that.
It's important to remember that Mac is in the middle of a city. As urban schools go, it's very safe, thanks to being in a nice neighborhood and a relatively serene city. Rural colleges are probably safer; I just like living in cities, so I take these sorts of things as part of life and don't let them stress me out. The chances of something bad happening to you are very small.</p>
<p>Thanks, I am from Chicago so consider myself street smart as well. I have looked at rural colleges and just cannot see myself there for 4 years. Also, internships for my major would be tough to find in a small town. My mom went to Mac and she keeps claiming the area has changed but she is referring more to the area off campus around University and Snelling. I think she went to Big Top Liquors alot :) Thanks for the response. I am spending the night at Mac on Friday.</p>
<p>Ha! Big Top remains the liquor store of choice for Mac students over 21...
The area around University and Snelling isn't as safe as Mac, but the freeway cuts across Snelling between it and campus, so the two areas are in completely different neighborhoods.
I hope you have a good visit! From what you've said about yourself, it seems like Mac would be a good fit for you.</p>