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Getting Smart About Campus Safety
By Maggie Master
Linda Vann can tell a lot about a person by the way she walks. So too, can a potential attacker, says Vann, which is why the CUA Public Safety department captain makes it a centerpiece of her self-defense courses. “Don’t walk like a victim,” Vann says. “Be assertive.”
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DPS Captain Linda Vann (left) will be joined this year by two new self-defense instructors, DPS Sgt. Kevin Thompson and Area Coordinator Cheryl Janus. | For the last 15 years, Captain Vann has been offering a six-week program each semester to educate students, faculty and staff — especially females — about basic safety and self-defense tips to prevent physical or sexual assault. This year Vann’s efforts to promote safety on campus will kick into high gear with the addition of two additional instructors.
Starting this fall, CUA will offer two more self-defense courses, bringing the total number of six-week programs to three each semester: two evening programs to fit in with student schedules, as well as a condensed, one-hour noontime offering to fit in with faculty and staff schedules.
Interested participants can sign up during orientation and or by e-mailing Vann at VANN@cua.edu, or Sgt. Kevin Thompson at THOMPSOB@cua.edu. In addition, the Department of Public Safety will send announcements about upcoming programs and how to register via This Week @ CUA.
The university is taking other steps to safeguard those on campus: Public Safety will be continuing the extended shuttle bus service, implemented last spring. Shuttle service will be provided until 3 a.m., Thursday through Saturday. Vann also is hoping to aggressively recruit more work-study students to staff the campus’ Safewalks program, which provides escort service to members of the campus community traveling about campus during the evening hours. (To read more about initiatives that the university has taken during the summer to improve security, see the Statement by the Presidential Task Force on University Safety and Security at www.cua.edu/safety.)
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Some Common-Sense Tips From Captain Vann:
- Don’t walk home by yourself late at night. Use the shuttle bus service or call for an escort. If you are visiting the 12th Street corridor, take the Saferide Van back home. If you must walk, walk in large groups, in well-lit areas.
- Stay alert and aware of your surroundings all the time.
- Avoid high-risk situations. Think: “Am I putting myself at risk?” and take some positive action to reduce that risk.
- Don’t walk in isolated areas.
- Remember that anytime you are under the influence of alcohol, judgment is impaired.
For more information, review the crime prevention tips on the Safety First homepage at: www.cua.edu/safety/crime_prevention.cfm#_safetytips http
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Last Revised 25-Aug-06 03:53 PM.
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