A few weeks ago, a violent assault occurred in the Padua neighborhood, changing how safe Padua girls feel around their school.   Because a young woman was the target of this assault, shock waves were sent through the Padua community.

“It’s not necessarily that I feel more in danger now, [the assault] just made me feel like I need to be more careful,” says Ashley Abrams ’14. A few changes have been made to ensure the safety of students and faculty, but the most important thing is that, as a community, Padua is becoming more cautious and aware.

Walking in and out of school on a regular day, it is now common to see Mrs. Mann and other faculty members patrolling the area. Just the presence of adults is reassures Padua girls that someone is always watching out for student safety. Students have been asked to stay off their cell phones while walking to and from their cars and have been told to never walk long distances on their own.

Saint Francis Hospital now includes the Padua block on their regular safety patrol, keeping surveillance every hour of every day. Terrible incidents such as this one happen all of the time, and, to be honest, there is only so much one can do to avoid them. This is why it is very important that we do our best to protect ourselves and our sisters by following the guidelines given to us by our teachers – being flexible for a change at any time.