As a student at SJSU

I have to admit, as a current student attending SJSU,  I am pretty nervous concerning the circumstances surrounding the campus and all the homicides at this point in time. Maybe I just have never taken notice before, or maybe I was sheltered at Gavilan, but I am borderline afraid of SJSU's campus and surrounding areas at this point in time. It makes me nervous to walk alone on the streets, although other people are around. It makes me nervous to pass places where people can jump out and hide. I need to be better about carrying my knife, but then the fear of what might happen if someone realizes that I have it on me. Mace or pepper spray, is next on my list. 

I was in the elevator with a group of kids last May. Two of those kids got off on the 5th floor, only to be shot repeadedly as soon as they got into their car. Were they together? I was told yes. Was she married? I was told no, but she was going though a very nasty breakup. At the end of the day, none of it matters. Two people were shot and killed, and one of them was killed due to the circumstances. 

October 8th, 2011, a 21 year old male, and 20 year old female were shot in his apartment, execution style, and because the police shot their only suspect days later, no one knows why they were shot. Oh, they have ideas, just nothing other that just that: ideas. Again, the 20 year old was shot because she was there, again, due to circumstances. 

To add to this depressing list, there have also been a handful of sexual assaults on campus. 

"A female student told police she was sitting on a bench sometime between 9:30 and 10 a.m. outside the administration building, located at Seventh and San Fernando streets, when a man walked up and offered her a cigarette, Noriega said. The man then lured her into an outcove in the nearby Engineering building and

groped her, Noriega said. The woman got away on foot, although the man tried to stop her from leaving, Noriega said.

The woman hopped onto a Valley Transportation Authority bus and took it to the end of the line at Snell Avenue and Capitol Expressway, Noriega said. The man followed her onto the bus but got off at an unknown stop."

This is one of several. There was another man that also attempted to sexually assault someone in the Baccardo Business Center, where my classes are held everyday. 

I don't know if I am just more attuned to these instances because of my situation (being enrolled as a current student and whatnot), or if they are just happening more often than normal. My vote, as are most of the students and staff, is for the latter of the two. Also, looking at it from an analytical point of view, alot of these victims were due to circumstances. I am not afraid to die, but I would strongly prefer not to die in horrible pain or unimaginable fear. Me, like all these others, have lives that are waiting for me to get home eveyday. I would like to see where my road takes me, but I know that if something is meant to be, there is nothing that I can do to stop it. All I can do at this point is to be aware of my surroundings, take necessary precautions, and not take unnecessary risks. All I can hope at this point is that things get marginally better, and that San Jose's "dirty water" doesn't spill on to campus all that much. And hope that even more so, I won't become a victim of circumstance.