Currently: 48°F
Spring has arrived and has brought warmer weather to Millersville’s campus. As a result, public spaces sometimes draw in unwelcome visitors. Some of those visitors may express ideas and opinions that may differ drastically from those of others in our campus community. Despite words that may go against the University’s EPPIIC values, the school must respect the rights of visitors to speak freely.
University President Dr. Daniel Wubah reminded the community about the possibility of such visitors in a communication sent to campus. He points out that the University rarely knows when these visitors will show up ahead of time, so it is important for students and the campus community to always be prepared. Per his message the president offers advice to the community about what to do in these situations. “I highly recommend not engaging with these groups and individuals either directly or passively, because, as we have come to learn, they often feed on an audience’s attention and are only encouraged by such resistance,” says Wubah.
Peter Anders, the chief of University Police, also encourages students to ignore such visitors, “We strongly encourage students and employees to ignore unwelcome visitors who come to campus. Please call us at 717-871-4357 (HELP) to let us know if there are unwelcome visitors, then ignore them and encourage others to leave. The more our community ignores these groups the less likely they are to return to campus.”
One resource that students can use to mitigate any disruptions is the LiveSafe app. Both Wubah and Anders encourage students to download and use the app in order to avoid any contact with unwelcome visitors. The app is updated to send out notifications about the location of unwelcome visitors. So, if anyone is near an area visitors might be at, they are alerted. Additionally, the app may provide an alternative route for people to take to reach a specific building on campus so that they don’t need to come in contact with the unwelcome visitors at all.
Millersville University is dedicated to keeping its community safe. Students seeking additional support can call counseling services at 717-871-7821, get involved with campus ministries, or seek assistance from a wellness advocate.
For instructions on how to use the LiveSafe app, visit: https://www.millersville.edu/police/livesafe.php
LiveSafe is free for all students, parents, faculty and staff members. Supported on Apple iOS and Android operating systems, it is available for download from both the iTunes Store and Google Play.
