Sometimes we take for granted living in the Bucknell Bubble. We wake up in our unlocked dorm rooms; walk safely to class (minus the ice on the hills or on the bridge near Seventh St. Café); leave our cell phones, laptops, wallets, keys, and coats unattended at tables in the Bison or on couches in the library; walk home alone after a night out downtown; then hit the hay, neglecting to lock our doors whether we live on or off campus. Certainly being safe and secure comes with the tuition bill: we should feel comfortable on our own campus and in the quaint, sheltered, central Pennsylvania town of Lewisburg for the price we pay.

Nevertheless, there has been a notable increase in campus theft this year, something we should not ignore. Only two thefts were reported at the beginning of last year, but according to Public Safety, there have been eight thefts since the beginning of 2014. These current thefts are occurring everywhere, from the Krebs Fitness Center to classrooms to dorm rooms that have been left unlocked. It’s time for students to take action.

Public Safety has certainly noticed the increase in theft and is taking action against it. In this issue, Kerong Kelly ’16 and Madeline Diamond’s ’17 article alludes to the fact that Public Safety is planning to install more surveillance cameras around campus. Looks like Big Brother will start watching over the Bubble a little more closely.

According to websites like City-Data.com and USA.com, robberies in the Lewisburg community have spiked in recent years in comparison to the early 2000s. Students living downtown ought to consider investing in deadbolt locks (and using them), or at least locking all doors and windows before they leave their residencies.

Maybe some of us more than others take our safety at this school for granted. But maybe there are many of us who leave our valuables in open and unprotected spaces, neglect to lock our dorm room doors, or take no time to educate ourselves about the theft that is happening on campus and in Lewisburg (Hint: read our Public Safety Log or The Daily Item).

To avoid getting your belongings stolen, especially during this (hopefully) temporary spike in campus theft, take the time to make safe decisions and educate yourself about these problems. Staying in the know, and knowing how to stay safe, is all it takes now to prevent pandemonium later.