Story and photos by Teghan Beaudette
Rows of lockers in the basement of the Loeb building on campus are poorly lit even during the day. With low student traffic in the area and the absence of emergency telephones or consistent monitoring, the quiet location inspires uneasiness.
Kimalee Phillip, the president of the Graduate Students Association at Carleton University, has been advocating for a sexual assault center on the Carleton campus—something that administration has been stalling on for over two years.
Since a highly publicized sexual assault on the Carleton University campus in 2007, the university has spent over $1.6 million on emergency phones, cameras and lights.
Phillip took Hartwells staff on a walking tour of the campus—showing some of the changes that have been made to increase the physical safety of students on campus and some areas that remain unmonitored, poorly lit and continue to worry students who have to navigate through those areas, especially at night.
Phillip stressed that while additional lights, cameras and emergency phones contribute to feelings of safety on campus, they do not address the larger issues surrounding attitudes towards sexual assault of women. Further, she said, sexual assault is much more likely to be perpetrated by someone familiar to the victim—so these types of measures only address a fraction of the issue.
A sexual assault centre on campus is a critical step in addressing violence against women, especially those on Carleton’s campus, added Phillip.
Areas like this one, surrounding the campus were poorly lit and provided low visibility for students accessing campus in the evening. Phillips said lights have recently been erected in the area.
Visibility in the Loeb tunnels is of concern to Phillips, where rows of lockers cut the sight lines of students accessing the lockers and approaching the area in the tunnel.
Numerous tunnels and hallways on Carleton's campus (like this one) remain poorly lit without the benefit of emergency telephones or cameras.
Narrow, windowless hallways which are sealed off at each floor with heavy doors are the rule when accessing the upper floors of University Center.
Students looking to go between the residences and areas of campus like the Azrieli Theatre may cut through this loading area, which is poorly lit and has several visual obstructions even during the day.
