Ohio University’s President Roderick McDavis stressed the importance of safety at the Student Senate meeting last night.
McDavis speaks with senate once a year to talk about his plans and ways senate can help him reach his goals, Senate President Kyle Triplett said.
McDavis’ biggest concern was the safety of the students after the increase in reported rapes and assaults.
“Over the last two years, we’ve had far too many assaults on campus,” he said. “Far too many students are at risk for their personal safety.”
McDavis opened up his presentation to dialogue and took requests from senate members on ways they think students can be better protected. Senate requested more lighting and policemen in areas where sexual assaults have been reported, most recently Playground Drive near Stewart and Mill streets.
“We have to be careful about where to go, the time of day we go out and what we are doing,” McDavis said. “If you are (out) at 3 a.m., no matter where you are, it’s a concern.”
Sarah Williams, senator for the College of Arts and Sciences, said there are other ways to decrease the number of sexual assaults on campus.
“I’m tired of people saying lighting is the problem,” she said. “Lighting does not make a difference. … We need to change the (culture).”
McDavis said he is trying to come up with programs and activities that help student safety, but it comes down to a “people-to-people situation.”
“We can’t change the culture by writing a resolution,” he said. “We do it by educating ourselves with issues that concern our safety. We do it person to person.”
Senate asked McDavis if he thinks there has been an actual rise in sexual assaults or if they’re just being reported more frequently.
“I think it’s a little bit of both,” he said. “We do have more reporting, but I also think we have more assaults, too.
“It’s not just student-to-student. If you’re driving through (Athens), where we have 21,000 young people … and something is not right in your brain, you see a dozen targets in a community with no gates … that’s how a lot of assaults happen.”
Vice President for Student Affairs Kent Smith, who sat in the crowd at the meeting, said that students needed to get together to make a change.
“Until students decide to take it upon themselves collectively and cohesively, (assault will be a concern),” he said.
Another concern, Smith said, was that only about 2,000 of the student, faculty and staff phone numbers the university has on file are working numbers.
“One of the things I lose sleep about is our inability to contact you if something is happening,” McDavis said. “Your safety is right at the top of the list, right under your education.”
tl674710@ohiou.edu
