Rhodes, is by most accounts a small, ‘safe’ community. Much safer then the big cities that some of us hail from, such as Jo’burg: ‘Gangers Paradise’ or Cape Town: ‘Your Mother City’…Right?
No Wrong….

It seems we as students have settled into a false sense of security, where we think “Well, it won’t happen to me”. Snap out of it, apparently we’ve forgotten that Grahamstown is a town, with the same dangers and possibilities as other South African cities. We all gasp in horror at the recent reports of student’s being mugged near campus and our blood runs cold when our fellow students are assaulted, yet within 10 minutes we’re back to planning the night out. In many cases there is absolutely nothing a victim can do to avoid an attack, however, some of us act as though we have some immunity to these horrific experiences.



Here are a few tips:



1. Stop driving drunk! CPU can’t protect you from the police and you do not want to spend a night in Grahamstown prison with real bad guys.



2. If you’re walking, especially at night, try walking as close to campus SOS buttons as possible and if you’re alone ask a CPU guard (nicely) to walk with you. CPU are a blessing, don’t hesitate. Visit their homepage here.



3. Don’t wonder between Union, Equilibrium, the Rat and Friars aimlessly. Choose a destination and get there quick, preferably not alone.



4. I know people don’t feel the need to tell their friends where their going, like they had to tell their mommy’s, but it’s not a bad idea. If you’re going away or even leaving a group of people to go somewhere alone, just let someone know.



Now, for those of us that put ourselves and others in direct danger;



5. Condoms are not ornaments, you can find them around campus, don’t let laziness put your health or anyone else’s at risk.



6. Just because a drink is free, doesn’t mean you should drink it, try getting drinks that you can see haven’t been tampered with. The drink really isn’t worth the possible consequences.
7. Remember, you don’t know everyone at Rhodes, you should be as cautious of people here as you are everywhere else. People rarely turn out to be what you expected.



8. Lock your doors!!! If you’re in digs, remember Grahamstown has thieves and bad guys too, and for those in res, locking your door when you visit your neighbor might sound ridiculous, but you don’t know who’s walking around.

'SisVic'