A woman was struck by a taxi at the corner of North Charles Street and E. University Parkway last weekend. She is the second pedestrian in a month to be hit near the Homewood campus. A broadcast email, however, was not sent out to notify students of the incident because the pedestrian was a non-affiliate and there was no imminent danger to other students. Campus Safety & Security has disclosed that it will soon launch a Twitter account to inform students of similar incidents in the future.
This page believes that a Twitter account isn’t nearly enough, and that Campus Safety and Security should send a broadcast email to all students notifying them of accidents which occur near campus, regardless of whether they include Hopkins affiliates. It is important that students be informed of incidents in their own backyard.
In recent years, pedestrian safety around campus has received an unprecedented amount of attention in light of a number of accidents involving Hopkins students. The new yet quickly expanding “Road Scholar” campaign, which constantly reminds students to be smart while crossing the street, stands as a testament to the importance of increasing awareness about pedestrian safety in the area.
This page believes that students have a right to know about pedestrian safety incidents. Actual instances of pedestrians being struck have more of an illuminating effect on the real dangers of crossing busy intersections than simple, abstract commands to be a “Road Scholar.” This holds true especially regarding the intersection at North Charles and E. University Parkway, one of the most dangerous near campus. The proximity of an accident at such a busy intersection undoubtedly fosters caution in students crossing it.
If the University wants its students to be “Road Scholars,” in short, it needs to give them the right education. While the immediacy provided by Twitter is a step in the right direction, it is still a somewhat esoteric social medium. Broadcast emails will allow for the widest audience to be reached.
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