The second year of GUSA’s SafeWalks program will begin this weekend. The program was designed to increase security by providing students with volunteers to escort them to on-campus locations in the evening. The SafeWalk escorts will be available from 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. on Friday and Saturday evenings.
“To the best of my understanding, initially the program was instituted as a response to Sept. 11, when some Muslim students felt intimidated walking across campus alone,” Student Association Chief of Staff Tom Donnelly (COL ’03) said. “Now it’s a matter of everyone feeling comfortable and safe walking across campus at night.”
Student response last year was positive and indicated that there was a desire to reinstate the program, Donnelly said. Although most of this weekend’s escorts will be members of GUSA, new volunteers are always welcome to answer phones and to be actual escorts.
The recruitment of volunteers as well as the appointment of two student coordinators has been coordinated by Patrick Durbin (NHS ’03) and Beth Cooney (NHS ’03), co-chairs of GUSA’s Health, Safety and Justice Advocacy Committee.
“SafeWalks serves on-campus locations and university housing like LXR and Alumni Square -places where SafeRides can’t go,” Durbin said in a GUSA press release.
SafeWalks can be requested by calling 687-3476 on Friday and Saturday evenings.