It’s easy to feel as though nothing can go wrong at Guilford, but that illusion was shattered on the night of Sept. 7 when a student was attacked outside of his apartment.

“Guilford is a safe campus, but because of that, we think that nothing (could) happen,” said Director of Public Safety Ronald Stowe.

The student was walking behind his apartment when four men who did not go to Guilford attacked him.

“I heard a lot of screaming, and I just thought they were having fun,” said junior and witness to the event Dale Prince. “I got a text around one thirty (a.m.) that the cops are here.”

Fortunately, the student in question is doing well, though he did not escape the event unhurt.

“He went to the hospital,” said Prince. “He did get whiplashed with a gun.”

As soon as the event was reported, Guilford College joined the police in figuring out how this could have happened.

“My office and campus life have been investigating,” said Stowe.

Although strangers don’t usually walk onto Guilford campus, it does happen.

“Being open makes it easier for people to come and go,” said Stowe. “It could allow access for things to happen.”

Although students generally do feel secure at Guilford, an open campus can still make students wary.

“Anyone can walk on and walk off,” said sophomore Aaliyah McPherson. “I don’t go outside by myself at night.”

For some students, having an open campus has led to concerns that such instances may occur more often.

“It’s something that I sort of assumed may have happened before,” said junior Amburee Edwards.

Although this instance may have sparked fear, the hope is that it will also make students mindful.

“I regret that this incident happened, but I hope that something good will come of it in that it will bring awareness (about safety) and make more people think,” said Stowe. “The hope is that it brings awareness that things do happen.”

As a community, there is a lot we can do to make our campus a safe place and encourage safety.

“We are a safe campus,” said Kristie Wyatt ’08, wellness education coordinator and community director for Shore Hall, English Hall and Pope House. “People in general feel safe on campus, [but] we can always do more.”

Public Safety encourages students to be proactive in ensuring their safety.

“Keep your doors locked,” said Stowe. “If you get a bad feeling about a situation, listen to that instinct and remove yourself from that situation. Be aware of your surroundings.”

One thing Guilfordians tend to forget is that we don’t live in a protective bubble.

“We can have a false sense of community … anyone can just walk in,” said Wyatt. “That’s something we want to make people understand, as well.”

That being said, students don’t need to shut themselves off in order to be safe.

“We have to walk that line,” said Stowe. “Get involved with student activities … but use caution.”