New lights added to Superblock

As part of the University's continuing efforts to improve safety on campus, the new lights were lit up in Superblock late last month. Drexel student Leyla Abad said the new lights shining down on Superblock make her feel safer when she walks her dog at night and stops to sit on a bench and read. "I think they're very helpful," said Abad, who lives on Pine Street near campus. "Now I'm not as scared." Susanne Schaller, a visiting Medical School student from Germany, said she has mixed feelings about the new lights. "I like the new lamps," she said. "They are much prettier." But Schaller is wary of the floodlights that were installed on the High Rises. "Campus is safe anyhow, so it is probably a waste of energy," she said of the rooftop lights. Schaller lives in Mayer Hall, in a room facing Superblock. She said she is pleasantly surprised that she has not been bothered by the added luminescence. She added that the lighting scheme will probably be useful in the winter, when long nights and empty walkways make the area seem more dangerous. She feels that people moving about is more important than lighting, so she doubts they are very useful now. "It's daylight until nine," she said. "You're not worried about being outside." Others said they have not given much thought to the new lights. Medical student Joseph Pace did not notice the new lights until he read one of the signs describing the project. But he speculates that he may have unconsciously led himself through the better lit area. Pace said he noticed some parts that were still darkened by shadows, but generally feels the lights are an improvement. He said that lighting fixtures like the ones atop the High Rises are fine with him, noting that he got used to them as an undergraduate at Columbia University, where floodlights are common. "I don't have an opinion about whether they're more aesthetically pleasing," he said. "But I'd hate to see the trees go so they could light it better." Pace, who lives on Woodland Terrace, said that the number of security personnel on duty around campus makes him feel safe enough. As a result, he wonders if the lighting money could have been better used elsewhere. "The big lighting problem is still between Spruce and Baltimore," he said. Some people around campus believe the lights are both unnecessary and unattractive. College junior Robert Bina said he feels that the money could have been used for more proactive projects. "They could have done something in the community," he said. He added that the rooftop lights are too excessive. "Campus is safe as it is," Bina added. "We don't need to be in daylight at four in the morning."

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