Student Forum to host Campus Safety Discussion

Benjamin Engle

On Monday, November 10^th, the Union College community will be able to voice their concerns regarding campus safety. Student Forum has invited high-level members of the Campus Safety Department, including Director William Sickinger, Assistant Director Christopher Hayen, and day-shift supervisor, Sergeant Ed Teller for a discussion on the safety problems students are facing on campus.

“The forum president [Jillian Bannister] asked that I meet with the forum to answer their questions about campus safety operations,” Sickinger said. “I expect to clarify any security issues and concerns pertaining to our operations.”

Students are encouraged to attend the student forum meeting or talk to their class representatives to share their thoughts and feelings regarding their safety on campus.

The discussion regarding campus safety comes after numerous incidents on campus during the majority of the fall term involving Union students and Schenectady residents. In their attempt to make students feel more secure on campus, Campus Safety has been talking to Sororities, in addition to student forum, to discuss how to be safer on campus.

Nicole Silverman, Membership Vice President of Gamma Phi Beta and campus safety representative for Gamma Phi Beta, Delta Delta Delta, and Sigma Delta Tau, has been an advocate for increased action on behalf of the Campus Safety Department to make Union safer, “Campus safety came to talk to the sorority houses about using better judgment and that we should just be cautious when we are leaving buildings.”

Hayen, however, believes that students need to be more proactive when it comes to safety on campus, “The challenge for us is to get the students to “buy in” to the programs. We are making progress in getting the message across to the campus community that crime prevention is everyone’s concern.”

Originally published in Union's Concordy on November 6, 2008.