If you have spent some time on a college campus in recent years, then there is a good chance that you have seen blue light boxes. The blue light boxes are a security measure that can be used in emergency situations. Essentially, you can press a button on the blue light box and a security staff member will rush to your location to assist you. They help to keep people safe by creating a safe spot for people to get help in an area that is very visible.
Understanding the History of the Blue Light Boxes
Understanding the history of the blue light boxes is easy if you look back at how long they have been in use. These have been important parts of campus safety for just about three decades. Currently, these blue light boxes are said to be present on more than 90% of college campuses. This means that you’d be hard-pressed to find a college in America that doesn’t make use of them.
They were made partially in response to the Clery Act. This is an act that came to be after the murder of Jeanne Cleary in her college dorm room at Lehigh University. The Clery Act basically is about providing transparency when it comes to college safety and overall statistics. After this tragic murder, it was decided that more needed to be done to provide students with safety options.
The blue light boxes were created in 1990 and the first one was installed at the University of Illinois. They have helped to provide students with safe spots when they have emergency situations for a long time now. Currently, they’re installed at many colleges and they don’t appear to be going away any time soon. There are people who debate whether the boxes are as important as they used to be, however.
How Long Will the Blue Light Boxes Remain?
With modern smartphone technology being so prevalent, will these blue light boxes be seen as necessary for much longer? Many note that they are expensive to maintain and that they are not used very often in modern times. Regardless, some feel that they provide college students around the globe with a sense of security. These blue light boxes might not remain on college campuses for another thirty years but they will surely stick around in the short term.