Javier Zazueta
Dear Roundup,
As a night student and bus rider, I face many dangers and dark spots going home to Panorama City. From a potential assault to pitch black streets, but Pierce College shouldn’t be one of them. Unfortu¬nately it is.
Although many dark places at school have been lighted, one big spot remains in the black— the soccer field that leads to the Victory and Winnetka street corner. Once I’ve passed The Village build¬ings, the only visible lights are at the school across the street and anything closer to that are in the gray. From slippery grass to muddy grounds, it’s an obstacle course to go home to at 10. Not to men¬tion any student, leaving late, can potentially be assaulted at school by someone who is hiding and is wearing dark clothes.
Although as a precaution stu¬dents could carry a flashlight and something for their self-defense, but not everyone does. Also, knives and guns are not permitted on school grounds. That’s where it gets a little grayer: Should a student break a rule and be safe or follow it and be at risk?
But the school can do something about it. Although putting new light poles across the field is an answer, it’s a waste of time and money. It would be easier and cheaper to have some soccer field lights be turned on several hours, and have someone from the Sherriff’s Station turned them off around 11 p.m., when most, if not all, students have left school.
It’s not a night-light issue, it’s a safety issue and Pierce can help out a little bit.
Javier Zazueta
Student
