Weinberg senior Lauren Lowenstein no longer trusts Evanston after the sun goes down.

Recently she showed up two hours late to an early-morning shift because she was afraid to walk alone in the dark.

“(My roommates and I) don’t really go out that much past dark anymore recently,” Lowenstein said. “If we do, we use a car.”

Since Fall Quarter began, there have beenfive attacks on Northwestern students in Evanston. Although all students have been encouraged to take precautions, off-campus students said longer walks home and sparse lighting make them easier targets.

Living off campus for a year has changed Weinberg senior Charles Rosentel’s outlook on safety.

“It’s tempered by the fact that I live off campus,” he said.

When living on campus, Rosentel recalls that it was easier to find other students with whom to walk to class.

“I try to walk in pairs wherever I go,” said Rosentel, who said it’s difficult to find students from his building heading to similar destinations. “I feel more tense the farther west I walk.”

The uncertainty after dark has caused some off-campus students to make adjustments to their routines.

Weinberg junior Stephanie Yang said she has used NU’s Escort Service more frequently this quarter.

“I am definitely more aware of under-lit streets and walking home by myself late at night,” Yang said. “(My roommates and I) make sure to turn our porch light on after the sun sets.”

Although some students have been proactive about safety, other students don’t find the crimes particularly surprising.

“I think it’s inevitable,” said SESP senior Shira Bergstein. “We’re on an urban campus, there’s no way to avoid it. Like any other urban campus, you should be aware of surroundings; walk in groups if you can.”

Walking in groups is one of several suggestions University Police is offering to students interested in traveling safely on and near campus.

“We recommend that students use the services the campus offers, such as shuttle buses and the Escort Service,” said UP Assistant Chief Daniel McAleer.

In light of the recent crimes, university administrators and police have made some changes. Officials have added one new stop on the Purple Route, at Oak Avenue and Davis Street. They plan to add two more.

The Escort Service now begins driving students at 8 p.m.

UP has hired two private security guards to patrol the campus and shifted daytime officers from the Chicago and Evanston campuses to work the night shift. Between seven and 11 people are patrolling the campus every night, McAleer said, up from about five.

Even with these changes, some students are not satisfied.

“As far as I know, no one’s been caught and that’s a problem,” Rosentel said.

He said if and when the offenders are caught, students should be notified, as it might help them feel more safe.

“Their solutions aren’t working and, with their inability to look outside the box, it’s not surprising that this is happening,” said Lowenstein. “They seem oblivious, not only to the root of the causes, but how to address it. There is no deterrent effect.”

UP and Evanston Police Department officials have made no arrests and have said the crimes are not specifically targeting students. Police do not believe the crimes are connected.

The university is responsible for creating a safe environment, but Yang said the students’ attitudes play an important role.

“I’ve run into a lot of people who think ‘it won’t happen to me,'” Yang said. “One message I hope the university continues to convey is the fact that you can’t protect yourself from every situation, and no one is immune on this campus.”

Reach Jasett Chatham at [email protected].