The Georgetown University Student Association (GUSA) Senate unanimously approved a resolution urging the university to improve lighting in and around Red Square at its Feb. 5 meeting.

First-year senators Meriam Ahmad (CAS ’26) and Dylan Davis (CAS ’26) sponsored the resolution to improve student safety by adding better lighting to Red Square. GUSA Senate Speaker Manahal Fazal (SFS ’24), GUSA Policy and Advocacy Committee Chair Joshua Bernard-Pearl (SFS ’25) and GUSA Senator Rhea Iyer (CAS ’26) co-sponsored the resolution.

Davis said that areas around Red Square, behind White-Gravenor Hall and between White-Gravenor and the Intercultural Center (ICC) are poorly lit. 

Currently, several lit bollards — short, vertical posts — around the square’s perimeter, a lit clock, and lanterns on the exterior of Copley Hall comprise the only lighting at night in Red Square, as can be seen in photographs that Ahmad and Davis captured in inspections on Jan. 29 and Feb. 4. 

Other existing lights in Red Square are dysfunctional, Davis said.

“There’s also existing lights that are scattered around Red Square,” Davis said at the meeting. “Upon inspection, one night a week ago, some of those aren’t turned on, some of them are broken, they haven’t been fixed, leading to a lot of dark areas.”

According to Davis, the steep ICC amphitheater steps pose a particular risk in the dark.

“Something that a lot of students have been talking about is the lack of lighting around certain areas. And one thing, one place, where they have a lack of lighting, is Red Square. There’s the amphitheater area, where at night, you can barely see the steps in front of you, so that poses a health hazard,” Davis said at the meeting.

Ahmad and Davis originally planned only to advocate for improved lighting in Red Square, but other senators, including Lucy Sonsalla (MSB, SFS ’23), pushed to amend the bill to also include the area behind White-Gravenor.

Around White-Gravenor, Davis said that existing lights are often turned off, such as lampposts and the overhead lights in the arch between the ICC and White-Gravenor.

“There’s actually overhead lights underneath that arch that are turned on, apparently, or turned off depending on the day. So those, A, need to be turned on. B, there’s also some existing lampposts. There’s two that are right around the perimeter that are off, or they’re broken or something, that aren’t on. There’s definitely room for improvement and repair,” Davis said at the meeting. 

The resolution states that this lack of lighting makes students feel at risk — particularly during the winter months, when the sun sets before 6 p.m. and classes are still in session.

“Many students on campus feel unsafe walking through the Red Square arch and the ICC amphitheater steps, the area behind White-Gravenor, and the area between White-Gravenor and Red Square after sunset,” the resolution reads. “Adding lights to Red Square would enhance student safety.”

Ahmad said the resolution does not ask much of the university.

“The only two requests that we have for the university is to add more lights to the areas that need lights and to repair the existing light fixtures that are currently not working,” Ahmad said.

A university spokesperson said that the Office of Facilities Management is assessing light levels in Red Square and will work to solve any issues emerging from the inspection.

“The safety and security of our students and campus is a top priority and we are always monitoring and taking steps to improve safety measures both on and around campus,” the spokesperson wrote to The Hoya. “We appreciate hearing feedback from students about our campus.”

Bernard-Pearl said it was imperative for senators to support the resolution.

“Students are bringing it to the attention of the university,” Bernard-Pearl said. “I think it’s a very good solution. It’s a great win-win for GUSA and the university.”