Despite three Penn State student deaths in the past month, Penn State students say they do not feel unsafe in State College.
Marissa Bull (freshman-international politics) said it is unusual to see so much criminal activity in the area, but it does not make her feel uneasy.
"It's heartbreaking to see that happening to other students," she added.
Penn State graduate student Xiaohui Xia, 25, died Feb. 14 from injuries sustained from being hit by a car while crossing South Allen Street near Logan Avenue.
Senior Michael Donahue died Feb. 19 after being stabbed in the heart at Club Love, 129 1/2 S. Pugh St., on Feb. 17. Josephy Alberto Ventura, 27, has been charged with first- and third-degree murder.
Senior Youngcheol Park, 24, was found dead Tuesday after a confrontation with Andrew A. Rogers, 28, late last week. Park's body was found in Rogers' house on Nimitz Avenue. Rogers is facing first- and third-degree murder charges.
"We're talking about two unfortunate, isolated incidents that happened in close proximity to each other," Penn State spokesman Tysen Kendig said in reference to the deaths of Donahue and Park. "But if you look at the crime statistics, State College is one of the safest places to live and study."
Rebecca Isham (freshman-animal sciences) said she was surprised by the deaths but still feels safe on campus. The deaths were mostly preventable, and it appears to be a coincidence that they all occurred within the past several weeks, she said.
"It is absolutely tragic," Galen Foulke, Undergraduate Student Government (USG) president, said. "The deaths of these students have been felt across the student community. It's something we're not used to here at Penn State. The thoughts of Penn State students are definitely with the families of these individuals, and they will be missed."
Maura Lance (sophomore-elementary education) said she does not remember any other student incidents similar to the recent ones except for the death of Penn State student Chris Raspanti, who died last year in an apartment fire on April 24.
"In general, you just have to be careful when you're out drinking and partying," Lance said.
Jeff Park (junior-hotel, restaurant and institutional management) said the recent events reminded him and his classmates of the instance in 1996 when 19-year-old State College resident Jillian Robbins killed a Penn State student on the HUB-Robeson Center lawn with a sniper rifle.
However, Park said he views the recent deaths as personal problems that do not affect students as much as the 1996 events.
Vicky Cangelosi, who chairs the College Republicans, said the incidents have caused her to reconsider how she views safety in State College. "We like to think of Happy Valley as a safe place to live," she said. "Back-to-back incidents have kind of shaken that image."
Off-Campus Student Union President Ryan Bennington said his group plans to include safety tips in their next newswire because of the deaths.
"It is definitely scary and sad, and you have to feel for the victims' families who send their kids here to learn and then get that fateful phone call from university police," he said.
Andy Banducci, USG Senate president, said it is necessary to encourage students to remain safe by taking precautions, such as escorting people home, but there must not be a feeling of fear. "I think Penn State students and the entire community need to reflect on allowing this sort of thing in our community and make sure we are doing everything we can to make sure that this sort of thing is not happening again," Banducci said.
Tom Daubert, a State College Borough Council member who lives two blocks from the house where Park was killed, said the deaths show that the town is getting bigger and will rationally have more criminal incidents.
Daubert, who is a long-time resident of State College, said the recent number of student deaths is unusual, but it seems unlikely that similar events will occur in the future.
