Ever spend hours upon hours at Greenwood Library, and by the time you left it was dark out? Did you feel comfortable walking back to your residence hall by yourself? Well, whether you did or not, you can call a Nightwalker, and they can accompany you back to your residence hall. Spencer Neiderlander, a Nightwalker who is in charge of Public Relations, sat down to answer some questions about the Nightwalker organization and what they bring to campus.
EJ Dowling: Who are the Nightwalkers, and what do they do?
Spencer Neiderlander: The Nightwalkers, or now known as the Student Safety Organization/SSO, are a group of students who ... created a group that promotes safety around campus for other students. Our primary function is to help students get from one location to another. Working directly with the Longwood [University] Police Department, we check the Emergency Poles around campus every week to ensure that they are functional and can be used by other students, and when we are "on duty," we escort students around campus. During events such as Spring Weekend and Oktoberfest, we are out on the stages from midnight until 6 a.m. watching over the electronics to ensure nobody messes with any of it so that the next day, music can resume and everyone can enjoy their day. During CHI Walks (for those of you who have attended) we are the ones either in dark blue Polos or a brighter blue jacket that say Nightwalker on them, and our job during that time is to ensure that CHI is able to walk their intended path and that nobody attempts to dehood a CHI member.
EJD: How can a student call a Nightwalker?
SN: You can get in contact with a Nightwalker by calling the Longwood [University] Police Department and asking for a student escort or by using the Blue Emergency Poles located around campus. The Emergency Poles are connected to the LU Police Department, and all you have to do is let them know that you are at a specific pole, such as in front of Dorrill Dining Hall, and that you would like an escort to be sent out to meet you. We do operate every day of the week. On Sunday- Thursday, we begin our shift at sunset, usually around 5:30, and work until midnight. Friday and Saturday we begin around 5:30 and end our shifts at 2 a.m.
EJD: How many Nightwalkers are there?
SN: Right now, we are sitting at nine members but are constantly looking for more people to join.
EJD: On average, how many calls do you get per night?
SN: It depends on the day, really. I work on Saturdays, and usually I only get one call. I have heard from other members that they sometimes get one or two during a shift, but generally we do not get very many calls. We would love to have more people use our service, both during weekdays and weekends.
EJD: What is your role within the Nightwalkers?
SN: I am currently assigned to Public Relations, which basically means that I get to do advertising for the group. Every week, there is a mention of the Nightwalkers in the weekly email. On the radio station every now and then, they will mention us, and
soon there should be some fliers in the dining hall and hopefully at the front desk of every on-campus [residence hall] on how to get in contact with us if an escort is needed.
EJD: How long have you been involved?
SN: It feels like I have been here forever, but it’s been about two years now. I began second semester of my freshman year, which was back in 2011. Fortunately, everyone involved in the group, both past and present, have been really nice and accepting toward each other, so I have been more than happy to return every semester.
EJD: How can other students get involved?
SN: As I ... said before, we are constantly looking for more members to join us. To apply to become a Nightwalker, you do have to go to the LU Police Department and ask them for a Nightwalker/SSO application form. Although a majority of the members are Criminal Justice majors, we love to have people who may not be a Criminal Justice major but are looking to promote safety around campus. The application takes a few days to get through the system, but after we receive your application, we will end up calling you in to do a brief interview just so we can connect a face to the name and so that you can meet some of the members before actually joining so you can get a feel for the organization. If anyone ever has a question concerning SSO/Nightwalkers, I am more than happy to answer any other questions about our organization, and you can contact me at spencer. neiderlander@live.longwood. edu.
