Last spring, a female Marquette student in the South Africa Service Learning program was raped in the alley outside the Kimberley House, a university-provided home for students. After the incident, she was taken to the hospital and given counseling, and the house received a night guard.

Removed after spring 2011, different safety measures have been implemented this year, such as security cameras and a light in the alleyway. Despite assurances from Marquette and students currently in South Africa, one alumna of the program insists that this issue needs to be discussed further.

And we agree.

This particular situation brings to light a larger issue: How safe are our students abroad, and what kind of measures should be taken to ensure their safety while still preserving the immersion experience that is the hallmark of studying abroad?

We cannot argue that Cape Town is a safe area, and students there must absolutely take their personal safety seriously. But, the fact that students might be less safe there than in a traditional western European capital like Madrid is not a reason to say students shouldn’t study there at all — this is a service-learning program, not a traditional study abroad experience.

In any study abroad situation, there are cultural differences and risks that need to be evaluated according to the unique needs of the program. In this case, we believe that installing a night guard permanently would be the best solution to allow student immersion in the culture while still being safe.

The current semester’s students have maintained that a night guard is unnecessary and sets them apart from others in the neighborhood, and we understand this sentiment. Part of a study abroad experience is that immersion aspect — trying to assimilate to the culture of your country and city as much as possible.

We believe that the “armed security agency that patrols the area and will walk students home,” which is recommended by the university and has already been in place, is another excellent resource for students to be safe while experiencing Cape Town’s culture.

Understandably, the alumna who brought the discussion to the administration, public safety, future program students and their parents is concerned with the safety of the program. These voices should not be lost in this discussion.

Parents sending their children to any abroad program should be rightfully concerned about their child’s safety, which is why Marquette places security measures, especially in more dangerous cities like Cape Town.

In such a discussion, it is also important to remember the voices of students who are studying and have studied abroad in the past, especially alumni of the South Africa program. While we believe a night guard and escort service would be prudent, it is understandable that alumni and current students have different opinions on the matter of safety abroad. That said, in the end, the issue of safety has to be made a priority.

There cannot be anyone to blame in this instance, but it is an opportunity for Marquette and those invested in the program to prevent similar situations from happening in the future, while also maintaining the integrity and mission of the program.

There may not be an overall, immediate solution to safety issues in Cape Town, or any other city that Marquette students study in, for that matter. But bringing this case to the attention of the university allows our policies and procedures to be discussed in order to ensure they are most helpful to students, victims or otherwise.