by Marko Mircetic
Residence Life Coordinator Stephanie Masta found nights at Grinnell College drastically different from those at Arizona State University, her previous employer. While Grinnell’s lighting is subdued and security is less intrusive, “at ASU, you had to go through two doors and keycard both of them to get in,” said Masta. As she switched positions, Arizona State had begun a program to evaluate outdoor lighting and add fixtures as necessary.
Grinnell College has prepared for similar changes in response to increased concern. Assault and harassment reports have convinced many students of the need for greater security measures. Administrators have prepared for future incidents by forming the Lighting Committee, which has recommended adding multiple fixtures to several spots on campus.
According to Jonathan Brand, vice president of Institutional and Budget Planning, the recommendations of the committee will be followed, and the college will implement new lighting over the next couple of years. Safety, according to Brand, is of “paramount importance.”
The extended amount of time required to meet the demand for lighting is a matter of cost according to Rick Whitney, who coordinates Facilities Management’s construction and maintenance projects. Each lamppost costs $1900, not including its concrete base or installation labor. This fee is a result of the construction of the lamps, as they employ optical refractors and thus offer a better-lit environment than the College’s previous fixtures.
Aesthetic concerns also weigh heavily upon cost. “You want lights that are warm, that are inviting,” said Brand. As such, the college has decided to purchase exclusively Washington Contracline model lamps from the Moldcast Corporation.
Security guard Robert Schultz has noticed a fault of these lamps, as they are prone to accumulate water or ice on occasion. “In a heavy precipitation area, why would you use lights that leak?” asked Schultz. Whitney noted that this problem occurs occasionally, but has not been a significant issue for Facilities Management.
Despite the addition of lighting, Masta points out that many areas of the campus are inaccessible at night. “What I find striking is that if I wanted to cut across Mac Field, it’s really dark,” she said.
The new campus center will assuage this concern as well. “Every architect wants lighting to be exciting, so that their building becomes a beacon,” said Brand.
Light pollution, which is a particular concern to Bob Cadmus, Physics, and the campus observatory, has limited the expansion of lighting and curtailed emissions from future building projects, however. The ability to see stars at night remains important to the college and students in general.
In response, all new lights on campus will eventually be fitted with dark sky shields, which act as a scaffold to reflect light downward. This measure “will probably increase the light around campus,” said Brand.
Steve Briscoe, director of Security, succinctly surmised the argument: “Shady characters prefer the dark,” said Briscoe. He maintains that the college will continually evaluate lighting and alter it when necessary.
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