Tuesday afternoon, students of the College received an email from Lauren Brandt, Associate Dean of Students, regarding increased safety measures on campus. This email came in the wake of a series of events that have jeopardized the safety of many students since their arrival on campus. After reading this email, we are left wondering how safe the Yard really is.
From property theft to dorm break-ins to violent encounters in public, the safety and security of Harvard Yard and the broader Harvard Square for students has come increasingly under scrutiny. While college can be intimidating and stressful, concerns about safety can make the transition for Harvard Yard’s first-year residents even more challenging.
Since late August, Harvard Yard has been swarming with students rushing to classes, hosting meetings, or arriving on campus for the first time—but they aren’t alone. Millions of tourists coupled with unhoused individuals native to the Greater Boston area pass through the Yard alongside these students every year. Harvard students have varying opinions on these dynamics. While some enjoy the bustling environment that includes a mix of students and visitors, others feel that the crowded Yard can become invasive and raise safety concerns. How can we strike a balance?
To gain a better understanding of the sentiments surrounding safety at Harvard, the Independent randomly polled 100 first-year students in Cabot Library. When asked how safe they felt at Harvard on a scale of 1 to 10, 39% of the surveyed students reported an 8. Yet while these students generally feel safe on campus, the prevalence of theft and instances of violence leave a sense of unease.
We also asked, “Have you experienced or witnessed any unsafe events on campus (theft, confrontation etc.)?” Nine people reported that they had witnessed scooter theft. Athletes on campus noted that their scooters were stolen just outside of Annenberg Hall and Cabot Library despite having locks on them.
Some students reported more alarming encounters.
“I watched a girl in my class get asked multiple times to go to an alley with a creepy old man so he could take pictures with her,” Ben Fitzpane ’28 recalled. “It was the second day of school at Joe’s Pizza. When she told me what was happening, I got in between them and told him she wasn’t interested. He kept talking to her until she forcefully told him no.”
Ahmed Eldeeb ’28 explained his unnerving encounters with tourists and non-Harvard-affiliated individuals on campus. “It was the first week here, and we’re coming from orientation, there’s just a random homeless lady. She comes by Holworthy, like, where I’m at. She’s coughing like crazy, and she’s screaming at all the freshmen. She’s like, ‘let me in. I have COVID, I need to use the bathroom right now,’” Eldeeb recounted. “And then she got really mad, and then she started chasing us with a ruler. And then we called the Securitas. They escorted her, but it took a bit.”
Eldeeb’s experience within his first week at the College sheds light on the prevalence of outsiders near freshman dorms and the shortcomings of security at Harvard. His unsafe experiences did not end there.
“My friends and I were studying at Cabot Library in the Science Center, and we were studying in a study room, and then there was a random guy who came into our study room, and he was just talking to us about our personal life and dating experience,” he explained. “It was really weird, and so we asked him, ‘Who are you? Like, are you an undergraduate student?’”
At first, Eldeeb explained that the man said, “‘Yeah. I go, here, I’m 26 years old, and I’m majoring in physics. I go to grad school for physics.’ And then we asked him again. We’re like, ‘Wait, so you go here, right?’ He said, ‘Yeah, I’m a CS major.’”
“We’re like, ‘Hold up. You’re not a CS major because you said you were a physics major in the beginning.’ And then that’s when there was a red flag. We got really uncomfortable. We get outside, and then my friend Nejman calls Securitas. He [Secuirtas officer] comes downstairs and escorts the guy. But the unfortunate thing is, I still see him on campus.”
At a school where so many students spend their nights studying in the library, this story raises many concerns. The walk home from Lamont and Cabot in the early hours of the morning is already a difficult trek for students delirious from work without the added safety concerns. As more students report non-Harvard affiliates gaining access to Harvard buildings and student spaces, the urgency to address these issues becomes even more critical.
Eve Weiner ’28 described a similar experience regarding an altercation she witnessed between a CVS employee and an unhoused person.
“I walk into CVS at 7 a.m., and it’s fully empty, except the workers, and then all of a sudden, this [woman] walks in and just basically grabs a bunch of stuff, and then walks out. And the people are like, ‘Hi, you can’t leave with that,’” Weiner explained. “It escalates very quickly, and she starts throwing things… She takes a case of energy drinks and she smashes it to the ground. Glass shatters everywhere. And the drinks are like fizzy drinks. So these are exploding everywhere and rolling all over the ground, and she starts picking up those drinks and chucking them across the way. And it hits the keychain holder, and those all crash to the ground,” Weiner recalled.
It is alarming that many students feel unsafe in shared spaces such as the library, near their dorms, or the local CVS. All students deserve to feel secure in their college environment, yet many continue to experience anxiety about their safety. Harvard administration must recognize these concerns and address student needs.
While these concerns about safety on campus are legitimate, it’s important to remember that Harvard Square and Cambridge are home to more than just Harvard students. Perhaps, we should consider re-evaluating our perceptions of tourism and the broader Cambridge community. The well-being and upkeep of our community depends on all of its members.
Mia Wilcox ’28 (mwilcox@college.harvard.edu) and Pippa Lee ’28 (pippalee@college.harvard.edu) are comping the Independent.