Self-defense course teaches safety tips to BW community

By SUNAINA KABADKAR Senior Editor

On Feb. 26 from 6-8 p.m. in the Center for Innovation and Growth, BW Safety and Security, the Berea Police Department and martial arts instructor Michael Cunningham taught female and female-identifying students, faculty and staff vital self-defense techniques. The event was split up into two workshops. Half of the attendees listened to a safety talk by Safety and Security Supervisor Timothy Washington, Berea Police Lieutenant Aaron Krouse and Berea Police Patrolman Nick Huskins. The other half participated in a handson self-defense lesson by Cunningham, known on campus as “Master Mike.” At around halfway through the event, those groups switched and attended the other workshop.

“I'm the hands-on guy. I'm the one who's teaching how … to defend against someone who's attacking you from different scenarios,”

Cunningham told The Exponent before the event.

“As you know, from any kind of martial arts, you’ve got to practice, practice, practice. But it'll be basic skills that are just quick and easy to learn for defense and to get out of a [dangerous] situation.”

Cunningham said that after years of teaching self-defense classes, he has come up with an agenda that works. He goes to the classes with some content prepared, but the rest of the time he opens it up to questions from the attendees.

Some of the topics covered included how to get out of common holds by an assailant and how to defend against a weapon. Cunningham said one of his favorite weapons other than his hands and feet is a pen.

“If you don't click the pen, it's just an object of pressing on pressure points. … If you had a weapon, I would click the pen and now it's a sharp object. … It could cause more damage and injury to that person if it was life or death,” Cunningham said.

Washington went over some safety techniques like not opening doors to the dorms for people you do not know or using situational awareness. Krouse and Huskins prepared a slideshow to supplement the information that Washington’s talk provided.

The addition of BPD to this type of event is new. In the past, Washington and Cunningham organized these classes alone. Washington said that the University benefits from having such a close relationship with BPD, adding that some BPD officers are also employed by the University on its Safety and Security force.

Krouse said that the good relationship between the BPD and the University “starts from the top” with the chief of police and the upper administration of the University.

Kerry Mullen, director of residential life and housing, was the woman who started this whole process. In an email to the Exponent, Mullen explained how she learned of the Birdie safety devices when she attended a conference.

A Birdie personal safety alarm is a small device about the size of a keychain pepper spray that consists of a loud alarm and flashing strobe light. It is a product created by women, for women.

Mullen wanted to bring Birdies to campus but needed a way to cover the cost of $29.95 per device.

Mullen filled out a proposal for the Women for BW grant and reached out to campus security, BPD and Cunningham.

After presenting her idea to the Women of BW, Mullen received the grant and collaborated with Safety and Security, BPD, Cunningham, associate sociology professor Julie Newcamp and the Sociology/Criminal Justice/ Forensic Science Club, also known as the Crime Society, to host the first self-defense program on campus since the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Actually, me and [Cunningham] used to do a program years ago. And it was really getting a lot of popularity, where I would talk about safety items and he would do self-defense. Then

Covid sort of stopped that,” Washington said.

Sidney Durkin, senior criminal justice major and president of the Crime Society, was one of the few students that worked on this event. Her main focus was to help advertise to students.

“Because it [the grant] was given to us by the Woman for BW, we decided to have an event that was for female and female identifying students in hopes that the event will be a success and that we can open it up to the rest of campus and all of the BW community,” Durkin said.

Currently, Cunningham and Washington are in talks with BPD to organize more self-defense classes for the Berea community. They also plan on hosting more classes for BW students and staff in the future.

Sunday’s event can accommodate up to 100 students and some spots are still available. Individuals can register on the SignUpGenius found under the Events tab in Jacket Connect and receive a free Birdie at the end of the event.