jsteele wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Please! I said that both schools are in a safe neighborhood and the freakin' PC police come in shouting racism.

Get a damn life.

If you have an issue with people committing crimes and gangs making neighborhoods unsafe, take it up with them. Don't bother me and others who simply prefer to stay away from those areas. And just so you know? When I was growing up, lily white South Boston was not so great either.

Now let those of us who want to discuss colleges get back to it. Take the race police elsewhere.

It can be dangerous relying on your perceptions. According to Business Insider which relied on FBI crime data, Vanderbilt is (or was in 2012 anyway) the 5th most dangerous college in America:

http://www.businessinsider.com/most-dangerous-colleges-in-america-2012-11#5-vanderbilt-university-21

The Daily Beast, in 2010, found it somewhat safer, ranking it the 46th most dangerous:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2010/09/13/most-dangerous-colleges-2010.html#slide46

Relying on the police reports in not perception. Help yourself to a more recent crime map: http://ucrime.com/tn/vanderbilt+university

Exactly what I would expect from the area.

Oh and a recent rape case was especially interesting, considering she initially denied it. Very typical for a college campus.

http://www.universityherald.com/articles/5976/20131204/vanderbilt-alleged-rape-victim-initially-denies-assaulted-football-players.htm

And frankly? I'm not really interested in rape cases on campus - stupid drunk girls are easily victimized. Does it make it right? No. Does it make it preventable? Absolutely. The type of crime I am interested in, is where, for instance, a girl who is sober, purposefully drugged, and not walking alone at night, etc. is victimized.

Crime can be prevented using street-smarts.

Now walk around Vanderbilt's neighborhoods at night, then walk around UPenn or USC. See what happens. Pull those statistics.

Anonymous wrote:To the person who thinks the OP is saying "safe" means white - have you been to Atlanta? It's safe but it's not very white.

Emory is an absolutely wonderful school. I lived across the street for years. All my sitters were from there and they were lovely. Decatur is pretty diverse though. My community was pretty upscale and I would say it was a third black. Emory is not a white school. I cannot speak for Vanderbuilt.

I do think there is always a feeling as to whether a community is nice and safe. Typically people base it on crime stats, how clean the area is, what kinds of businesses thrive there, how walkable is the area or how good is public transport. In this day and age, is racial makeup really how people decide if an area is safe? I highly doubt it. We all know it's common for bad neighborhoods to have high numbers of minorities but not all neighborhoods with high numbers of minorities are unsafe or undesirable.

I noted this blurb from a recent comment on another college discussion thread. Were your observations the same? Atlanta is a lovely place.

However, 15-20 minutes from Emory is where a lot of the Confederate Flag flyers live.

As someone who lived in Atlanta for years, there really are bumpers stickers that say, "Northerners go home!"

That said, Emory is lovely and students are not going out into the areas where they will encounter these problems. Atlanta and Decatur are progressive and Liberal areas where this would not be tolerated. Drive outside the "perimeter" though and this Confederate flag flying business is not going to be uncommon. Normal people do not go to these areas. There are plenty of great places to go so it's not a concern.

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Please! I said that both schools are in a safe neighborhood and the freakin' PC police come in shouting racism.

Get a damn life.

If you have an issue with people committing crimes and gangs making neighborhoods unsafe, take it up with them. Don't bother me and others who simply prefer to stay away from those areas. And just so you know? When I was growing up, lily white South Boston was not so great either.

Now let those of us who want to discuss colleges get back to it. Take the race police elsewhere.

It can be dangerous relying on your perceptions. According to Business Insider which relied on FBI crime data, Vanderbilt is (or was in 2012 anyway) the 5th most dangerous college in America:

http://www.businessinsider.com/most-dangerous-colleges-in-america-2012-11#5-vanderbilt-university-21

The Daily Beast, in 2010, found it somewhat safer, ranking it the 46th most dangerous:

http://www.thedailybeast.com/galleries/2010/09/13/most-dangerous-colleges-2010.html#slide46

Anonymous wrote:I would be wary of thinking a place is safe if you don't know it well. I went to school in a small southern town that was touted as being incredibly safe, but that was mostly thanks to PR spin of the city and college forces that be. It can lull young women into a sense of security... one I wish I hadn't had.

Which is why you do your own research and walk it. Nothing is perfect.

You also teach your kids to be cautious and wary.

I would be wary of thinking a place is safe if you don't know it well. I went to school in a small southern town that was touted as being incredibly safe, but that was mostly thanks to PR spin of the city and college forces that be. It can lull young women into a sense of security... one I wish I hadn't had.

OP here. Please! I said that both schools are in a safe neighborhood and the freakin' PC police come in shouting racism.

Get a damn life.

If you have an issue with people committing crimes and gangs making neighborhoods unsafe, take it up with them. Don't bother me and others who simply prefer to stay away from those areas. And just so you know? When I was growing up, lily white South Boston was not so great either.

Now let those of us who want to discuss colleges get back to it. Take the race police elsewhere.

^^NP here and just passing thru. I'm not going to get into a tit for tat with you but the other PP is not the only one with a chip on their shoulder. Perception is sometimes based on experiences and for you to refer to some who disagree with you as sheep only fuels the fire.

Unfortunately, for some in certain situations, safe/race are indeed code words regardless of how you perceive it. That's just the way it is. You don't have to accept that but it's unfair to demean those who experiences may be different than your own.

You and I both know that we want all kids to be safe.

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Anonymous wrote:I loved your report and appreciate that you said it felt safe. I don't know why other posters gave you a hard time. These trip reports are helpful and I appreciate a mother's perspective. I read the guide books but I guess you never know until you see it for yourself. I like the details from the these trip reports. Some of the guide books say places like USC and UChicago are not in the best neighborhoods. While students need to be careful on all college campuses rural and urban, it is nice to hear when parents like the area directly near the college.

Thank you. There is a select subset of this forum that thinks everything is about race. You have to just ignore them. For the rest of us, we simply want to ensure our kids are happy and safe. They are correct, however about my lack of knowledge re: geography

NP here. My jaw dropped when I read others think everything is about race BUT you and the rest want YOUR children safe. You think the others don't want THEIR college kids safe too? What a mean thought from you or maybe just oblivious.

Not to worry. I am totally and unequivocally done with you and yours. Nice going, PP.

What is your problem? The OP posted a nice trip report and described how she liked the area around the college and about 5 posters were all over her as if she had done something wrong. Who said anything about "others don't want their children safe." Why do people ruin these threads.

I'm OP and thank you. Because they like to stir trouble through race-baiting. They equate the word 'safe' with race, as if it's a code word. It's not. But it's what the sheep are being told to think now, so who can really blame them?

You just don't know when to stop, do you? All kids should be safe and that does include those non-whites who are leery about venturing into certain areas especially after dark. Safety isn't reserved for one group of people, whether you think they're sheep or not.

You care clearly making things up. Knock the chip off your shoulder. What I'm referring to is the fact that some people are simply going to see racist undertones in everything and I regard those people as not being able to think for themselves. It's sad.

it has nothing to do with race at all. You are making it into that. Where the hell do you get off thinking that we don't think all kids should be safe? No one EVER said that.

I'm also a recent Vanderbilt alum, and agree that I felt safe there. The campus is pretty self-contained, so there aren't lots of people not affiliated with the school walking around on campus. The surrounding neighborhoods have lots of restaurants and businesses, or are quiet family/residential areas. I agree with the PP who said that they have really good campus security.

I also want to say that I love, love, loved Vanderbilt and highly recommend it. It's nice that they have a Greek scene, but a max of 6 people can live in fraternity or sorority houses so everyone else is pretty well mixed up throughout the campus. It's also nice that most people live on campus 3 or or all 4 of the years, so everyone is close together and it feels like a community. The academics are outstanding, but the students are well-rounded. Beautiful campus. Competitive sports. Mild climate. Nashville is a fantastic place to live. Students from all over the country. It's a wonderful school.

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Anonymous wrote:I loved your report and appreciate that you said it felt safe. I don't know why other posters gave you a hard time. These trip reports are helpful and I appreciate a mother's perspective. I read the guide books but I guess you never know until you see it for yourself. I like the details from the these trip reports. Some of the guide books say places like USC and UChicago are not in the best neighborhoods. While students need to be careful on all college campuses rural and urban, it is nice to hear when parents like the area directly near the college.

Thank you. There is a select subset of this forum that thinks everything is about race. You have to just ignore them. For the rest of us, we simply want to ensure our kids are happy and safe. They are correct, however about my lack of knowledge re: geography

NP here. My jaw dropped when I read others think everything is about race BUT you and the rest want YOUR children safe. You think the others don't want THEIR college kids safe too? What a mean thought from you or maybe just oblivious.

Not to worry. I am totally and unequivocally done with you and yours. Nice going, PP.

What is your problem? The OP posted a nice trip report and described how she liked the area around the college and about 5 posters were all over her as if she had done something wrong. Who said anything about "others don't want their children safe." Why do people ruin these threads.

I'm OP and thank you. Because they like to stir trouble through race-baiting. They equate the word 'safe' with race, as if it's a code word. It's not. But it's what the sheep are being told to think now, so who can really blame them?

You just don't know when to stop, do you? All kids should be safe and that does include those non-whites who are leery about venturing into certain areas especially after dark. Safety isn't reserved for one group of people, whether you think they're sheep or not.

Anonymous wrote:Vanderbilt is actually right in between a black and whit section of town. Peabody is surrounded by the more weight neighborhood and west end is a block or two from a large black section. As a young alum, most crime happens on campus, and most students don't venture into either neighborhood at night alone or without a pack. They head downtown in huge groups, and downtown is very safe (and dull, but whatever).

Meth wasn't an issue when I was there, but weed and cocaine were. Honestly, I'm sure it's the same at Emory, and most elite/wealthy college campuses. Vandy is VERY good with night and weekend security guards in the dorms.

The music scene is KILLER! I would imagine it's dull if one only drinks and wanders, as some students do. But MAN, the music!!

Anonymous wrote:To the person who thinks the OP is saying "safe" means white - have you been to Atlanta? It's safe but it's not very white.

Emory is an absolutely wonderful school. I lived across the street for years. All my sitters were from there and they were lovely. Decatur is pretty diverse though. My community was pretty upscale and I would say it was a third black. Emory is not a white school. I cannot speak for Vanderbuilt.

I do think there is always a feeling as to whether a community is nice and safe. Typically people base it on crime stats, how clean the area is, what kinds of businesses thrive there, how walkable is the area or how good is public transport. In this day and age, is racial makeup really how people decide if an area is safe? I highly doubt it. We all know it's common for bad neighborhoods to have high numbers of minorities but not all neighborhoods with high numbers of minorities are unsafe or undesirable.

You are 100% correct in your observations. To equate diversity and safety is misleading and trying to attach racist connotations to the word 'safe'. My neighborhood here in the VA burbs is very diverse, yet very safe. I have GREAT neighbors!

Anonymous wrote:To the person who thinks the OP is saying "safe" means white - have you been to Atlanta? It's safe but it's not very white.

Emory is an absolutely wonderful school. I lived across the street for years. All my sitters were from there and they were lovely. Decatur is pretty diverse though. My community was pretty upscale and I would say it was a third black. Emory is not a white school. I cannot speak for Vanderbuilt.

I do think there is always a feeling as to whether a community is nice and safe. Typically people base it on crime stats, how clean the area is, what kinds of businesses thrive there, how walkable is the area or how good is public transport. In this day and age, is racial makeup really how people decide if an area is safe? I highly doubt it. We all know it's common for bad neighborhoods to have high numbers of minorities but not all neighborhoods with high numbers of minorities are unsafe or undesirable.

Parts of Atlanta are safe. I did not feel very safe when I had to be rescued by Macy's security after being pinned to their building by a homeless man. My hotel was directly across the street.

I felt safe around Emory for sure.

Vanderbilt is actually right in between a black and whit section of town. Peabody is surrounded by the more weight neighborhood and west end is a block or two from a large black section. As a young alum, most crime happens on campus, and most students don't venture into either neighborhood at night alone or without a pack. They head downtown in huge groups, and downtown is very safe (and dull, but whatever).

Meth wasn't an issue when I was there, but weed and cocaine were. Honestly, I'm sure it's the same at Emory, and most elite/wealthy college campuses. Vandy is VERY good with night and weekend security guards in the dorms.