To the editor,

We write to you today in hopes of using this platform to advocate for drop-in emergency overnight shelter for students. 

NEIU needs an emergency overnight drop-in shelter for students. With increased federal activity in our city, NEIU students are facing additional stressors that impair their sense of safety off campus. The threat of ICE is continuing and a constant fear, this can be a challenge for students who are unexpectedly late on campus due to unforeseen circumstances. Additionally, students face unsafe neighborhoods and might stay late to finish projects or attend rehearsals. This drop-in space would support those who have missed their buses or do not feel safe traversing Chicago at night, especially important as the sun sets so early this time of year.

As safety is one of NEIU’s defining characteristics we strongly believe, this is a support worth implementing in order to continue protecting the safety of students on campus. Northeastern is a student-centered campus, and students need an emergency overnight drop-in shelter. Whether it is twenty students or two hundred students, this is a need. 

We already have many plans for supporting students for emergency housing and longer-term housing; we urge you to develop an emergency overnight safety measure that consists of a designated space for students who feel leaving campus late at night will pose a threat to their safety. This drop-in emergency haven will supplement the meaningful mental and physical health resources that the university already offers students. This will send a clear message to the NEIU community that the university has the wellbeing of all students in mind.

This will build personal safety and also contribute to campus safety as people will have a dedicated space to stay overnight that the school and security are aware of (people will not feel the need to sneak around due to fear of being reprimanded).

We know students stow away overnight for a multitude of reasons, and that is categorically unsafe for many reasons including that police do not know where students might be and find them unexpectedly. It is essential that a drop-in shelter be official and endorsed by the school so the institution and police can support students’ safety.

Providing this drop-in shelter to aid student safety during these times of uncertainty will contribute to educational success on campus. If you want to organize with us, please join the Sociology Club ([email protected]).

Additionally, we implore the Independent to take up this important issue and further the dialogue by advocating for emergency overnight shelter for students, thus creating more collective well-being on campus.

It takes a village,

Diana Martinez, Grace Hanson, Jose Guzman, Laurie Fuller, Makalia Shockley, and Matthew Klebek