S.T.E.M programs can bring challenges for women, students say

By OLIVIA SEAMAN GARRETT Staff Writer

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics is a field that has a reputation for being largely dominated by men, and some students feel that reputation is upheld at Baldwin Wallace.

Students interviewed by The Exponent about their experience reported that in many S.T.E.M. classes, the male-to-female student ratio is very unbalanced.

Mary Hiros, a sophomore double major in cyber security and public health, said that, in one instance, she was the only female student in a class of seven males. Still, Hiros is undeterred.

“Young women should not be scared to go into maledominated fields, because there is so much room for success for women in these fields,” said Hiros.

Junior Julia Stein, a double major in biology and public health, said that there are classes designed for specific post-graduate endeavors, such as medical school, that are more male-dominated in numbers than others. Classes that focus on topics such as physician’s assistance are more balanced in terms of numbers.

These male-dominated numbers can be a daunting prospect for some female students hoping for a place in the S.T.E.M. world. Sydney Baracz, a junior English major and computer science minor, agreed that computer science being a male-dominated field was intimidating at first.

“I was too self-conscious to pick the computer science electives since I knew the majority of the people in there

The Exponent reported on numerous accounts of sexual harassment and safety concerns with the Fairgrounds Gate 3 parking lot.

While 47.4 percent of surveyed students reported feeling mostly safe in campus parking lots at night, 38.2 percent reported only feeling fairly safe and 9.2 percent not feeling safe at all. Only 5.3 percent reported feeling extremely safe.

This, in part, could be due to the lack of blue light emergency phones present on campus. When asked if they were comfortable with the current number of emergency phones on campus, an overwhelming 87 percent of students reported that they were not, and that they feel more should be added.

According to Washington, students should call BW Safety and Security, the Berea Police Department, or even 911 in emergency cases when students feel threatened or unsafe in an area where there are no blue light emergency phones.

“I’d rather have you report something and have us check it out and have it not be [anything], then not report it and have something happen,” Washington said. “We’re here 24/7, even if you have a question. If we don’t answer it, we can try to get an answer for you. We’re always available.”

To help increase personal safety, students can practice good safety habits such as locking doors, using good judgment on social media and ensuring other students scan their own jacket express cards before letting a stranger into a university building.

15.6 percent of surveyed students reported that they never lock their doors. According to Washington, students should not take their safety for granted – even in a safe town like Berea – and keep their doors locked at all times.

“We had an incident in Lang Hall years ago,” Washington said. “A girl went down to the bathroom. [When] she came back – she’d left her door unlocked – there was an individual in her room ... Even if you’re going across the hall, lock your doors.”

Dale Papes, a part-time officer who works with BW Safety and Security, describes how students can extend safe practices to social media. Out of the students surveyed, 39 percent reported having public social media accounts. According to Papes, students should use their own judgment when it comes to social media but should still always think before they share.

“When you put information out there, it’s out there,” Papes said. “If it’s not something you would want shared with that one person walking down Beech Street, what about across the country, or everywhere in the world?”

In addition to social media, Papes also warns that students need to be careful when it comes to who students let into University buildings.

“I see it all the time on patrol, people holding doors for each other. Which is nice … but let somebody scan their own card,” Papes said. “Plus, that could even help us. [One] night, we received a call where it was very helpful to know an individual’s last location so we can go help them.”

Even though 54.5 percent of the surveyed students reported feeling mostly safe overall on campus, incidents can happen anywhere, Washington said.

“People say it can never happen in Berea. Yes, it can.” Washington said. “The probabilities of it happening might be slim, but the possibilities are endless.”

For additional ways to stay safe, BW students can attend safety classes given by Washington, available upon request, or take part in the Berea Police Department's program C.R.A.S.E., which stands for “Civilian Response to an Active Shooter Event.”