The Department of Residential Life sponsored two town meetings on campus safety, parking and transportation Wednesday night at the East and West Campus Apartment complexes.
Angela Koch, assistant director of the Department of Residential Life, said these meetings were planned because “a lot of people have questions.”
“They can get all their questions answered in one place,” she said.
If they attend, that is.
Two students stopped by during the WCA meeting as Koch and various employees of the Department of Parking and Transportation, LSU Police Department, and LSU Student Health Center had a discussion about safety issues at LSU.
Attendance at the ECA meeting improved, with eight students in attendance. Several of these students were residential assistants for campus housing.
Koch said she attributed the low attendance to the time of the meetings and students’ tendency to be focused on current events.
“Unless it’s happened in the last 24 hours, it’s not something they want to talk about,” she said. “Everyone wants to talk about [questions] and … then no one comes.”
Koch said the meetings were deemed necessary since Res Life received several complaints on various safety topics.
“RA’s are passing up the concerns from the residents,” said Koch. “We want to be able to educate them on how they can do a better job.”
Monique Fayard, a kinesiology senior, attended the ECA meeting because she is a Senior RA.
“I wanted to voice some concerns about parking that other people have told me,” Fayard said.
Subjects covered at the meeting ranged from parking permits to dangerous safety issues in the dorms.
“It was helpful,” Fayard said. “It was nice that my voice was heard.”
There were several topics that heightened the attending students’ awareness.
LSUPD Lt. Russel Roge discussed safety at the forum.
He addressed the topic of campus safety late at night. He said there are policemen that patrol parking lots around residence halls from 7 p.m. to 3 a.m. that can help anyone. They also are present to prevent crimes, Roge said.
“I don’t know how much we deter just by being in that area,” Roge said. “It’s difficult to tell.”
Gary Graham, director of the LSU Office of Parking, Traffic and Transportation, spoke on the several parking questions students had.
He said there are several complaints about residents taking too much parking, but that there are several possible lots in the works to increase parking.
“I think our first obligation is to students that live here,” Graham said. He said there are plans to change the tennis parking lots by Graham Hall to resident parking.
Graham also explained the many options available for students who are concerned about safety on campus.
He said Campus Transit is a good option for students to use between 5:30 p.m. and 2 a.m. The vans take students around campus after hours to any location they desire.
He said traffic has gotten up to 400-500 students and more vans are in the works.
Koch said “heightened safety awareness” spurred the town meetings. Res Life wants to remain responsive to students and help them to be as safe as they can.
Koch said students must play an active part in staying safe. These town meetings are opportunities to do so, she said.
“It’s partly their responsibility as much as it’s our responsibility,” Koch said.