East gym lot unsafe, poorly lit

Diana Perkins, ‘04 / Letter to the Editor

I wanted to further emphasize the point made by Nicole Valenti in January's Pendulum. There is a real safety issue concerning the East parking lot.

As the recent robbery shows, the walk to East lot from the main campus along Haggard leaves students exposed to cars traveling a road that is often deserted after 5 p.m. The walk from the Academic Village to the back entrance of East lot is equally risky. The heavy shrubbery along the tennis courts coupled with inadequate lighting and a fairly deserted area makes it almost impossible to ensure one's own safety as he or she walks to his or her car. I may be able to stay vigilant as I am walking, but I can't see in the dark, and I can't see behind bushes that are bigger than me.

With the growing attendance at Elon, the resultant growth in cars parked on campus and the higher demand for parking spaces, it is becoming more and more necessary for students to park in this relatively secluded parking lot. The recent robbery along Haggard shows that, yes, violent crime can successfully take place in this small town. Clearly, there are weak points in Elon's security measures. Let's hope some changes are made.