Campus smarts

Joe Freshman arrives on Main Campus and a big boulder of too much information falls on him, crushing him under an insane weight of tedious details.

He’s told of buildings with funny names like Speakman and Wachman that supposedly house classes, which if he’s five minutes late to, he’ll fail the rest of his life. There’s some information about an owl statue with an echo, and if he spends more than $6.35 on food at the Student Center, he’ll just die right there because that’s over the meal equivalency limit.

It’s important for freshmen and new students to sift through all the information they’re given and determine what is accurate and what is OwlTeam Leader mumbo-jumbo.

The biggest misconception new students have about Main Campus is its safety. There is no “yes” or “no” answer to the question of whether or not our campus is safe.

This topic has many gray areas that we won’t even attempt to conquer. It’s important, however, to not invest full faith into what so-called “experts” have to say on the subject.

But here are some pieces of advice.

On their tours during orientation, Owl Team leaders boast, “The sun never sets on Temple’s campus.” These “ambassadors” have been trained to say that and it’s not exactly true.

Main Campus has its nooks and crannies that are dark and poorly lit; for example, the courtyard leading to Johnson and Hardwick Halls. But, if an area receives enough complaints about inadequate lighting, suitable fixtures are installed.

Main Campus is safe, and what makes it safe is your ability to practice common sense. The best rule of thumb is to not travel alone at night.

You might have to suffer a few inconveniences, but safety usually comes with a pricetag.

If you have to stay late at the library or TECH Center, ask a friend in the center to walk home with you or ask if anybody lives at your dorm and whether he or she would like to walk home together.

If walking with someone isn’t an option, call 1-TRIP. It’s vital to have your wits about you. Always take notice of your environment and who is around.

In this case, those little white ear buds that lead to your iPods should be placed in the pocket. It’s important to hear everything that’s going on around you.

Philadelphia simply has too much to offer to let fear get in your way of exploring it.

Freshmen, you’ll be here for quite some time, so reap the benefits of what the City of Brotherly Love has to offer.

No matter what has been printed or what you’ve heard, our campus is safe. It just takes a little bit of common sense on your part.

You wouldn’t go running up and down Broad Street on a Saturday night waving sparklers with an American flag tied around your neck like a cape. Would you?