Security beefed up at University of Idaho as students wary of returning for spring semester
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IDAHO, MOSCOW: As the spring semester begins at the University of Idaho, on Wednesday, January 11, the priority of the varsity is to provide a safe and normal environment for the students. The dean of students, Blaine Eckles, echoes the voice of several others who are concerned about the safety as the new session returns to campus after four of its students were murdered in a house nearby.
"It was a shock for many of our students ... that something like this would happen here", he said. Addressing the security, Eckles shared that the sheriff’s office in the county will be in and out of campus, and in addition, they have private security officers for the new semester, “We've also hired additional campus security officers and we're still in very close partnership with the Moscow Police Department. Our students want to be in the community. They want to be here," Eckles added. Several students will be visiting campus for the first time since the murder of Madison Mogen, Xana Kernodle, Kaylee Goncalves, and Ethan Chapin at an off-campus home in November, last year. “There [are] no easy answers, and unfortunately, life is full of violence at times, but we are putting every effort into place to create a safe learning experience", said Eckles.
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A few are finding it hard to return to the campus, with still a lot of questions unanswered, “Why them?" asks Olivia West, one of the twin West sisters. "Some of them are just starting their new life, like, why did you take that from them?" The 18-year-old did not return to campus after Thanksgiving break, saying the crime has transformed campus life, "I had never originally walked with a knife or my keys between my fingers before," West said.
Tomorrow, U of I students will start coming back to the dorms after winter break. Tonight on @kxly4news, what the University is doing to ensure students feel safe on campus, and how they’re helping students who choose not to come back this semester. pic.twitter.com/Le8pdquCBY
— Brontë Sorotsky (@BronteSorotsky) January 7, 2023
When 28-year-old suspect, Bryan Kohberger, was arrested by the authorities on December 30, the University of Idaho students were on their winter break. The convict will be present in court on Thursday morning, January 12, and if found guilty, he will likely face the death penalty, as per CBS News. Paige Palzinski, a sophomore at the University of Idaho, said it was good to have extra security personnel, “The tragic events that have happened, I don’t know if it will ever feel the same, but I think just being conscious of knowing what’s happened and having more protections in place has been huge.” Lauding the works of law enforcement, many students expressed a sense of relief over the arrest, "It was kind of a relief just knowing that they have someone," said Cole Paulik, 18, a freshman at the university.