Companion is available for Android phones and iPhones
Companion, created by five students at the University of Michigan, is a free app that tracks a user’s movement and allows their friends or family, called "companions," to follow their route using GPS. It also has the option for users to track where on campus they feel unsafe, and notifies campus police of the results.
Student Government Association Safety Committee Whip Jacob Peterson wrote legislation for a similar app, Rave Guardian, to be implemented at Ball State last year. The resolution was never placed on the Senate floor, but Peterson said he continues to look for more ways to keep Ball State students safe.
“I will tirelessly [pursue] safety for all Ball State students,” Peterson said. “It is an issue that can always be fixed; it can always be improved ... And whatever I can do to help students feel safe on campus, I’ll do it.”
Peterson said Companion is another app that Ball State could potentially implement. It would work best as a grassroots movement, with student organizations coming together to promote the use of Companion in order to get legislation for it on the agenda, he said. From there, the SGA Student Senate would need to vote to send it to the University Governance, where it would need to be voted on or given to a committee to be worked on.
Peterson said there could potentially be costs on the university’s end, depending on whether the creators of the app wanted money for licensing for marketing. He also said it's important for the University Police Department to be on board.
“Ball State’s a beautiful place,” Peterson said. “It’s a wonderful place, but we live in a real place. It’s a place where things can go bad, and we want every student to have the power in their pocket to make a difference.”
According to Apple App Store’s description of Companion, the app will check on its users if they start running, have their headphones yanked out, drop their phone or don't make it to their destination on time. If there is no response within 15 seconds, the app will notify their companions, who aren't required to have installed the app. It will also give users the option to call the police.
Lisa Nelson, a senior speech pathology major, said she uses the app and encourages her friends to download it. She said the app could be very effective at Ball State.
“Even sometimes if you think you’re safe on campus, you’re not always in the safest place,” Nelson said. “Unfortunately, we are in a world where even other students can be dangerous. It’s just an extra safety precaution that doesn’t take you much extra effort or time that would give everyone a peace of mind.”
Other students may be more wary of trusting their safety to an app. Renee Jiles, a sophomore hospitality and food management major, said she will not be using Companion because she believes there is too much room for error.
“I just feel like it would be annoying and keep asking me questions,” Jiles said. “And if I accidentally pressed the wrong button or something and turned off the questions, and I really was in trouble, then it wouldn’t notify anyone.”
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