The official student newspaper of Quinnipiac University since 1929.
QUCHRONICLE.COM
OCTOBER 28, 2015
VOLUME 86, ISSUE 9
Being prepared
Hamden to decide on University to hold active shooter awareness training university zone
By SARAH DOIRON Co-News Editor
The frequency in school shootings has prompted the Department of Public Safety to offer training for students, faculty and staff for active shooter awareness, according to the Chief of Public Safety Edgar Rodriguez. There have been 52 school shootings this year alone, according to Every Town For Gun Safety’s research. Rodriguez said it is impor-
tant for the university to be prepared in case there is an active shooter on campus. “An active shooter could occur anywhere. It could occur here, in a nightclub, a fast food restaurant, so forth and so on,” he said. “This is something that is happening more frequent[ly] than ever and we just need to be prepared.” Rodriguez said Public Safety has a protocol in place should there be any type of dangerous situation–such as an active shooter on campus.
We need to be good neighbors. I think it’s important that we realize that there are families living next to those house parties,” Rodriguez said. During Halloween weekend of 2013, HamSee HALLOWEEN Page 6
See OFF-CAMPUS HOUSING Page 3
See ACTIVE SHOOTER Page 4
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The Department of Public Safety will have more officers on campus for the weekend. the importance of being courteous to the Hamden residents and community during Halloween weekend. “One of our biggest things here at the university is if students are going to a party off campus, or a house party, please think about the neighbors.
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There will be changes for students looking to live off campus if Hamden’s Planning and Zoning Commission chooses to approve the six proposed amendments on student housing, according to a proposal presented by the Planning and Zoning Committee. Most of the amendments are minor but one of the amendments discusses a “university zone” that would include a majority of New Road and the entirety of Lucien Drive, as well as the area of Woodruff Street to Renshaw Road. “The university zone is something the university put forward,” Sal Filardi, vice president of facilities and capital planning said. Filardi said the main reason the university wanted this university zone was to establish universal zoning requirements for universityowned property. The zone would include 75 properties, 59 of which are owned by the university, according to the proposal. The 16 remaining properties are privately-owned. Eleven of those are private residences, two are used for student housing, two are commercial sites and one is a multifamily house that is rented out to the university. The purpose of the zone is to create alternative living space for students in single-family houses in residential neighborhoods, according to the proposal. The zone is also meant to create a safe area for students to shop, live and eat within a close distance to the university. The intent of the zone is also to encourage the growth of businesses in Hamden. Junior Allison Hoover said she doesn’t think this will make a difference for students. “That’s a good idea if it would make our relationship better [between Quinnipiac and Hamden],” Hoover said, “but I think that people are going to want to go where they want to go, so if they don’t want to live on those roads, they’re going to find another house, whether it’s through Quinnipiac or not.” Multi-family housing, accessory apartments, dormitories, retails, single-family housing, funeral homes, and office and service establishments are all permitted uses of the zone, the proposal states. Filardi said he believed the way the university zone was presented at the Planning and Zoning meeting was to show that the zone was going to help solve the problem in town. But, Filardi said the university already owns most of the area in the proposed zone. “I don’t really see how [the university zone] solves the problem at all,” Filardi said. Rather than create this university zone, Filardi said the town of Hamden should propose areas that students cannot live in. “If they could identify residential zones that exist that would be off-limits to student housing, we think that would be helpful,” Filardi said. Junior Jonathan Lemeau believes that the university zone would lead to an easier commute for students, and less problems with Hamden. I’ve heard that a lot of neighbors are complaining about us about parties and other things,” Lemeau said. I think it’s a good idea to have everyone closer to campus. It is more convenient for the students and less of a problem [for Hamden].” Assistant Town Planner Dan Kops told the
Rodriguez confident students will be safe on Halloween The Department of Public Safety is preparing for Halloween weekend by having more officers on campus, according to the Chief of Public Safety Edgar Rodriguez. This is nothing new to the Quinnipiac community. Last year, Public Safety heightened security on campus in preparation for Halloween weekend, as well. “We are going to be proactive and visible,” Rodriguez said. “We usually have enough personnel on campus and Monday through Saturday from 5 a.m. to 11 p.m., and then 11 p.m. to 4 a.m. we have Hamden Police Department on campus with us, so we are going to have more than enough people around.” Rodriguez said students should be cautious during Halloween weekend. Two years ago, a student walking back from an off-campus party fell into an uncovered well on Whitney Avenue. In an effort to ensure students off-campus are safe, Rodriguez suggested students choose brightly-colored costumes so they can be seen by drivers. “Choose your Halloween costume wisely: Be sure to wear something you can move in. Masks and wigs can accidentally cover your eyes, impairing your vision,” he said. Rodriguez reminded students to keep in mind
By TARA O’NEILL
The Quinnipiac Chronicle
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Chief of Public Safety Edgar Rodriguez speaking during the first active shooter awareness training session on Oct. 27 in the Mount Carmel Auditorium.
Senior Gerard Lisella thinks having active shooter awareness training sessions is a great idea. “Honestly every time I turn on the news or read a news site and they mention there is or was another [school shooting] and my initial reaction is ‘pff of course’ or ‘what a shock’ and I’m almost desensitized to it,” he said. “But then I walk around campus for the next week and every bump and sound I hear makes me jump. It’s there in the back of my mind, and it’s horrifying. ‘What if we’re next?’” Vice President and Provost Mark Thompson sent an email to the university community on Oct. 26 with the dates, times and places of active shooter awareness training sessions. “Acts of violence on college campuses have increased in frequency, and have occurred most recently in Oregon and Texas,” he said in the email. “These events naturally cause varying levels of concern about safety and preparedness at our own university. While these events are generally unpredictable, it is important that we do everything possible to prevent them and be as prepared as possible to respond effectively should such an event occur.” Lisella said the fact Quinnipiac has to hold these training sessions because of the increase in school shootings is crazy. “Some of us aren’t even legal adults before we come to college,” he said. “It’s absurd that we’re at a point as a country and society that the administration at an academic institution has to take steps to teach their students and faculty members how to not get killed.” The training sessions began Tuesday and will continue until Nov. 5. The next four are located in the Mount Carmel Auditorium. These sessions are as follows: Oct. 28 from 4-5 p.m., Oct. 29 from 8-9 a.m. and Oct. 30 from noon to 1 p.m. There will be a training
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