Tree-lined paths to BC raise students' concern for safety

For students who want to get up close and personal with shadows and construction sites, the current pathways to the Bryan Center provide their fair share of an experience.

Because the main vein of the Bryan Center walkway reduced to little more than rubble and debris, students, staff and visitors must hike the path adjacent to the Duke Chapel or forest-lined trail near Kilgo Quadrangle to reach the student center.

The two alternative routes will remain mainstays until the new West Campus student plaza is completed in the fall of 2006.

The pathways have spurred a variety of complaints ranging from safety to aesthetic issues.

"I was so sketched out walking back from the BC one night because it was so dark out," sophomore Sarah Maxted said. "I was legitimately scared."

Despite student concerns regarding safety, Leanora Minai, senior public relations specialist for the Duke University Police Department, said there has been no reported incidents of criminal activity along the pathways as of Nov. 21.

"We haven't received any complaints about security issues," Minai said.

As a precaution to make the path safer, Duke officials installed lights, an emergency phone and fenced off the actual construction site earlier this year.

"It's an eyesore," sophomore Hasnain Zaidi said. "Safety is not an issue for me, but I definitely see how it could be."

Zaidi, who lives in Crowell Quadrangle, noted that even though now going to the Bryan Center takes less time for him, he still favors the walkway to the construction.

"I really liked the BC walkway better than the situation now," Zaidi explained. "But, that said, I am really excited for the plaza."