NEWS 3
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 28, 2012 • HILLTOP VIEWS
Awareness, quick action key to minimizing crime on campus
Meal plans, study spaces topics of forum discussion
Continued from page 1
Gilroy said preventative measures against theft can include anything from locking room doors to walking in groups at night. “[The victim] was alone. If she’d been with somebody it probably wouldn’t have happened, but she was just walking by her dorm and felt perfectly safe,” Gilroy said. Jana Soares, a resident assistant for LeMans Hall, said security awareness is important inside resident halls. “As soon as you notice someone in the building that’s not a resident of the building, report it to your RA or RD,” Soares said. Gilroy said theft can still occur without people physically breaking into a building. “Some of the thefts occur when people let somebody piggyback in on the front door ... We’ve had people wake up with people in their room. We’ve had people walk in and see people in their room,” Gilroy said. Soares said common sense can be the best tool to promote safety in the residence halls.
KNOWINGYOUR SGA
Adam Crawley dcrawle@stedwards.edu
Photo by Veronica Adams UPD has recovered several stolen bikes over the past month.
“Keep your doors locked, keep your keys with you, don’t leave your things out in the lobby,” Soares said. Students can take further action to protect their possessions. Gilroy said engraving items and knowing serial numbers can help recover the item should theft occur. “We can’t prove that it’s not their property unless we know what the stolen property number is. We have to let people go with stolen property sometimes because there’s no way to identify it,” Gilroy said.
Gilroy said the most effective defense against crime on campus is awareness and prompt action. “The best thing we’ve got going for us ... is the student and faculty and staff help, keeping their eyes open and calling us when they see suspicious stuff,” Gilroy said. Students can call UPD to report suspicious activity or a crime. “We have such a nice campus,” Gilroy said. “It’s relatively safe because everybody works together to keep it that way.”
Meal plan prices will increase next year, said a speaker at a recent Student Government Association forum. A guest speaker attended the SGA public forum in which several new acts of legislation were passed. Additionally, several new acts of legislation were passed. The Nov. 22 event began with the director of auxiliary services, Mike Stone, who presented about the upcoming increases in meal plan rates for 20122013. Due to a projected increase in food and drink prices for the year, students’ meal plan rates will increase by a small amount. “We changed the meal plan structure in 20112012 in order to ensure sufficient funds to sustain a campus cafeteria,” Stone said. “This will take the burden off of on-campus residents to sustain our cafeterias. There are forecasts for food and drink price increases which means that operation prices are going to increase.” The school will continue to require all enrolled students to purchase a meal plan. The commuter plan will be the smallest. “This plan is a way to minimally change the plan
due to food price increase mittee to help with depressures and take the signing the class ring. The burden off of on-campus eventual goal is to have residents, who have to this implemented soon.” purchase the meal plans The vote for this act was in order to sustain opera- passed unanimously. tion,” Stone said. Another act introduced St. Edward’s meal plan was named Student Temis cheaper than most porary Area for Testing schools, said Stone. Excellence or STATE. “Most schools have a This act would aim to cremuch higher cost for their ate a study area for stumeal plans, and we believe dents during finals week. that we have found a way “This bill would help to revise our meal “This development plan to fit with these of an official class new food ring will create a p r i c e s ,” Stone said. new tradition for St. After Edward’s campus.” this presentation, - Harrison Hadland, SGA senator various new acts of legislation were brought to the table. with the general planning The first act was to estab- of a study space for final lish a committee for an of- exams coming up. This ficial class ring tradition. bill … would help finance “This will be the final this study space because step in this process and of the lack of study space solidifying our position at the library,” SGA senain regards to the develop- tor Le’Darrion Allen said. ment a unified class ring This bill was also voted tradition. This develop- in unanimously. ment of an official class Other bills introduced ring will create a new revolved around helping tradition for St. Edward’s other student organizacampus and increase tions. the symbolic and social The SGA public forums capital of the University’s are open to all students community,” SGA senator who want to learn about Harrison Hadland said. campus events and put “It looks like we will be questions to SGA officers. doing a partnership with Balfour and have a com-