Spring Break
SGA and Corps to work together for safety
By: Matthew Watkins
Issue date: 7/14/05 Section: News
The Texas A&M Student Government Association (SGA) and the Corps of Cadets, as well as other student associations, should work together to improve the safety of students on campus while remaining sensitive to cultural differences, said Corps Commander Matt Ockwood.
The task force held its second meeting Wednesday morning to discuss the safety of A&M students, specifically minorities. Meeting attendees focused on the safety of students traveling by foot on and around campus. The task force was created in response to the attack of Ravi Mallipeddi, an international student who was assaulted with a baseball bat on Northgate June 1.
Task force members had expressed concerns about the current status of the Corps escorts, including the escorts' lack of training and the number of cadets who escort each person. Another concern was that some international students had cultural or religious qualms about asking a male escort to walk with them alone at night.
Ockwood said that the Corps was open to suggestions from other organizations on how to improve the escort system and committed to doing its best to protect all A&M students.
"Traditionally, the Corps has served a big role in protecting students around campus," Ockwood said. "I was not aware of the cultural issues which faced some students, but it is an issue that we will address. We want to be considerate of all people and are willing to accommodate certain groups' needs."
Patrick Lukingbeal, chair of the task force, said he was encouraged by the Corps' openness to the ideas presented.
"(The Corps) is very serious about helping us," Lukingbeal said. "By working with them I think we cleared up a lot of problems that people have."
Lukingbeal said that he hoped some improvements will be made in the month and a half before the fall semester starts.
Ockwood also said that he hoped the Corps could receive some assistance from other organizations - both within and outside Texas A&M - since the assault of Mallipeddi occurred off campus and beyond the scope of the Corps escorts.
The task force held its second meeting Wednesday morning to discuss the safety of A&M students, specifically minorities. Meeting attendees focused on the safety of students traveling by foot on and around campus. The task force was created in response to the attack of Ravi Mallipeddi, an international student who was assaulted with a baseball bat on Northgate June 1.
Task force members had expressed concerns about the current status of the Corps escorts, including the escorts' lack of training and the number of cadets who escort each person. Another concern was that some international students had cultural or religious qualms about asking a male escort to walk with them alone at night.
Ockwood said that the Corps was open to suggestions from other organizations on how to improve the escort system and committed to doing its best to protect all A&M students.
"Traditionally, the Corps has served a big role in protecting students around campus," Ockwood said. "I was not aware of the cultural issues which faced some students, but it is an issue that we will address. We want to be considerate of all people and are willing to accommodate certain groups' needs."
Patrick Lukingbeal, chair of the task force, said he was encouraged by the Corps' openness to the ideas presented.
"(The Corps) is very serious about helping us," Lukingbeal said. "By working with them I think we cleared up a lot of problems that people have."
Lukingbeal said that he hoped some improvements will be made in the month and a half before the fall semester starts.
Ockwood also said that he hoped the Corps could receive some assistance from other organizations - both within and outside Texas A&M - since the assault of Mallipeddi occurred off campus and beyond the scope of the Corps escorts.
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