Idaho murders highlight importance of campus safety

By ELLA YORK Staff Writer

The high-profile case surrounding the brutal murders of four University of Idaho students last November has rocked people around the globe – and BW students are no exception.

In a survey conducted by The Exponent that asked 77 BW students questions about safety habits and concerns around campus, many voiced how the Idaho case has affected them. Out of the students familiar with the case, 68.3 percent of students reported rethinking their personal safety habits after hearing about the incident.

The victims in the Idaho murders, Kaylee Goncalves, Xana Kernodle, Ethan Chapin and Maddie Mogen, were stabbed to death by a masked intruder in their off-campus home on Nov.13, 2022. The only suspect in this ongoing case is Bryan Kohberger, a doctoral student studying criminology at the University of Washington. There were no signs of forced entry into the home, and new details in this case suggest Kohberger may have been stalking the victims – through social media and other means – since August of 2022.

To increase safety around campus, BW Safety and Security offers many services available for students to utilize, including an escort service and vehicle lockout assistance. Currently, Safety and Security is working on developing a program for students on personal safety.

“We are putting together a program with [residence] life, criminal justice, and the Berea police,” said Tim Washington, the supervisor on first shift for BW Safety and Security. “We’re going to talk about personal safety, and we might talk about active shooter training.”

This program comes at a time where students are beginning to call their personal safety into question – in October of last year,