Issue date: 12/1/04 Section: News

The rape of a young Beacon Hill resident on Nov. 14 has left a sense of shock and caution among students at Suffolk. Some say campus security has done what they can to help prevent another similar scenario from happening, but others feel there is more to be done.

Sophomore Heather Cox was around the Beacon Hill area at the same time the rape took place, returning a movie at Mike's Movies on Cambridge Street.

"It was so close it kind of hits home," she said. A resident at the 150 Tremont dormitory, Cox now takes extra care while walking around the neighborhood. "If I do walk by myself I stay on the main roads, or I walk with my boyfriend or a group of people," she said. "Everyone is a little more cautious."

Just last week, Cox offered to take her friend to the airport, just to be on the safe side. While a member of Suffolk's volleyball team this fall, Cox would typically walk home with her teammates.

She recalls that campus security was oftentimes slow to react when asked to unlock doors or assist them at a nearby building. As for the situation at hand, Cox said she does not see what else campus security can do at this point.

Freshman Shannon Slattery feels that Suffolk Police have made a strong effort in terms of getting information out to the student body. "I think they're doing the best they can," she said. "They've done a good job at gathering meetings and sending out notices."

Slattery, also a resident of 150 Tremont, feels that students should be allowed to carry mace or pepper spray in order to feel more protected. Students are warned at the beginning of their freshman year that these items are not allowed on campus grounds, but many find it necessary to protect themselves while in the city. "My safety and my protection means more to me than the rule of not being allowed to have [mace]," Slattery said.

"If women are walking around with rapists and predators, they should be protected." In order to possess mace, one must receive a license from their local police department. This is exactly what Junior Sandra Sensano-Ruiz did while commuting back and forth to school on the commuter rail her freshman year. Now a resident in Malden, Ruiz takes the orange line everyday, but often does not leave campus until eight o'clock at night or later.

When she heard about the rape, Ruiz could not believe that something like this could happen on Beacon Hill. "It could've happened to anyone. I don't walk by myself, but it's just unfortunate that this girl was by herself."

As a commuter, Ruiz thinks that Suffolk should put together a list of people who commute on the same subway or commuter rail lines.

In that case, she explained, if someone wanted a "buddy" to walk to the train station with, they could easily call or e-mail someone to coordinate with.

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