Six TV stations, three newspapers, four panelists and a packed room of concerned citizens came together for The Reveille’s town hall meeting last night to talk about safety and the serial killer.
The media showing didn’t surprise me. The candidness of the officials and the questions asked by community members did.
People, mostly females, asked tough questions. And they got answers. Chancellor Mark Emmert said there will not be waiting lists for the University’s Rape Aggression Defense classes anymore. BRPD Chief Pat Englade gave specific information about how to form neighborhood watch groups. LSUPD Capt. Ricky Adams said people can refer to campus maps to find call box locations on campus.
The town hall meeting allowed more information to be put into the public arena. And I’m glad that happened.
Citizens got a chance to ask officials their questions directly. Normally, reporters go to meetings to gather information from officials to write their story.
The citizens’ questions, not the officials’ rhetoric, formed the reporters’ stories last night. Community members got their questions answered. Even if it wasn’t the answer they wanted, they had the opportunity to ask. And I think there should be more of that.
When we published the Campus Safety Special Edition last week, we didn’t want to just talk about safety. We wanted to do something about it. And that’s why we put together the town hall meeting.
We wanted to give the community a chance to come together and talk frankly about safety issues and the serial killer. We wanted the chance for citizens, not other reporters, to ask questions. We wanted to bring people together to show solidarity and support in finding the serial killer and keeping campus safe.
All this happened last night. A state legislator, concerned husbands, students and administrators came to get answers to questions, such as how closely are LSUPD and BRPD working together and why can’t students carry guns on campus. After the discussion, I saw strangers standing around and talking to each other. The conversation that started with the officials continued well after the meeting ended. It was a time when people could discuss their fears and what’s being done about those fears.
This kind of event needs to happen more, and University officials need to initiate it. Yes, the University is trying to improve lighting. Yes, more police officers are working longer hours. And yes, the University is extending the hours of campus transit. But, it’s not enough.
I’m terrified right now. I’m scared to go to my apartment for lunch. I think about the serial killer when I go for a run. Anytime I’m alone, I think about the serial killer. I hate being scared. University officials know people are scared. They should be doing more about educating us and assuaging our fears through discussions such as the one we had last night. We don’t want people to talk at us — we want them to talk to us.
It makes me feel better that a good number of people turned out to the town hall meeting. I want people to continue talking about safety and the serial killer because with many voices united, we are stronger. The Reveille is committed to continuing this conversation. We have a place on our Web site for coverage of campus safety and the serial killer. Also, we encourage you to send story ideas and concerns to us. We are willing to help, and our coverage does not stop with this meeting.
I encourage University community members, males included, to be informed, be watchful and get involved. Go to the student-initiated rally today at 1 p.m. in Free Speech Alley. Talk to the task force from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. behind the Union today if you have good information. Support the rallies organized by the victims’ families at the state capital held once a month on Sunday. Let’s continue this conversation about safety and the serial killer so this madness will come to an end.