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Douglas College implements temporary SkyTrain Safer Walk program

Trial initiative meant to keep students safe in wake of assaults at UBC

Aidan Mouellic

: jo Staff Writer Staff Writer

Rew reports of sexual violence at the University of British Columbia (UBC) and the decrease in daylight hours has Douglas College taking proactive measures to keep its students safe.

The SkyTrain Safer Walk program, which began at the New Westminster campus on November 4, has been implemented on a trial basis until December 16. The evening- only service is being offered at the New Westminster campus from 7 p.m. until 11 p.m. during the school week. During that

period, a Paladin security officer,

who will be equipped with a baton-style flashlight and a two- way radio linked to the Douglas College security offices, will lead groups to the nearby New Westminster SkyTrain station every half hour.

Douglas College is also looking to implement a similar program at David Lam for a safe walk to the parking lot.

The aim of the program is to ensure the safety of Douglas College students, especially those who may feel vulnerable during the trek at night to the transportation hub at the bottom of the hill.

Douglas College has long had a safety escort program— where students and staff may request an escort to an on-campus facility—but the SkyTrain Safer Walk program is the first off-campus system.

Other colleges and universities, such as UBC, Langara College, and Simon Fraser University, all of which have larger campuses, offer similar escort programs that run year round.

The SkyTrain Safer Walk program, however, doesn’t appear to be popular with students. A Paladin security guard hired by Douglas College to staff the Safer Walk program told the Other Press that “only four or five people have had an escort in the three days since we ve started offering them.” The security guard wished to

remain anonymous.

Some students who haven’t used the service though think it’s still worth it.

A male student, who wished

to be left anonymous, says

that “the Safer Walk program

is not very important near our busy campus, but with what’s been going on at UBC and how scared some students are now when walking alone at night, this can only breed confidence and a feeling of security. I guess that I hope it stays.”

Safety and security is everyone's responsibility, not just that of campus security officials. Douglas College recommends that its students walk with a buddy at night, know the transit schedules, and have their keys ready when approaching their vehicle. More detailed security and safety tips are available on the Douglas College website at www. douglas.bc.ca/safety-security / security / personal-safety-tips. html.

The SkyTrain Safer Walk program is still in its infancy and being tested for viability. A report on the effectiveness of the SkyTrain Safer Walk program is expected in the new year.

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Photo courtesy of Ricky Leong (Flckr)

Get to know your Douglas Students Union representatives

Keiko Nariya is working or STPODEN

all of you

Julia Siedlanowska Staff Writer

ouglas Students’ Union

member-at-large Keiko Nariya is proof that international students are passionate about post-secondary education in Canada. In her interview with the Other Press, Nariya talks about bridging the gap and exploiting opportunities for integration between domestic and international students at Douglas College.

Could you explain for us your role as member-at-large at

the Douglas Students’ Union (DSU)? What duties does this include?

We have three members- at-large positions and basically we are like “jack of all trades.” Unlike executive or liaison representatives, we do not have specific roles given, except to make sure that our student

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Proto courtesy of Deepa Singh

Keiko Nariya

representative team is doing well and to be supportive. For that reason, we can be flexible on either supporting other representatives with specific roles or launching our own campaigns and events based on the students’ needs. But since

I am an international student and | think one of my roles

is to represent the voices of international students at Douglas College, I’m currently focussing on working on the Task Force on the Needs of International Students, [which is a provincial initiative spearheaded by the British Columbia branch of

the Canadian Federation of Students, which aims] to hear opinions and concerns from as many international students as possible.

When did you start being interested in being involved at the DSU?

For the first two years at Douglas, I was regularly volunteering for the International Office and for the Douglas College International Association. and then a friend of mine, who knew that I was volunteering, asked me if I was interested in helping the DSU to host their event called International Student Open House and Dinner in February 2012. After finishing the event I was asked by the DSU if I was interested in being a student representative for 2013-14 slate. ITimmediately answered with a

“Veg!” If you could change one thing at Douglas College, what would it be?

I would want to provide more opportunities [for] domestic and international students [to come together] in the Douglas College community. Being at Douglas College for almost three years, I still feel like there are some barriers that prevent both groups from approaching each other. For example, I’m sure that there are domestic students who are interested in learning different languages or cultures, or even travelling to other countries; and there are international students from all over the world who want to make friends with local students. But I think because of some barriers like cultural or language differences or even stereotypes, a lot of them hesitate to step outside of their comfort zone. It will take some time and I do not expect a huge change happening anytime soon, but I hope that we can advocate the benefits of interacting with different cultural groups by hosting more

[inclusive] events in the future. What advice do you have to Douglas students?

Two words: “Get involved!” If you want to express yourself and make a change for yourself and others, or if you want to make more friends outside of your classroom, getting involved in the Douglas community is a great option. I’ve volunteered for Douglife, Office for New Students, International Office, and DSU and they all provide great opportunities for students to have exciting and valuable experiences.

If you have an intention of getting involved but not sure what to do exactly, I recommend that you allow yourself to become a bit spontaneous, like signing up or dropping by a random event in the Douglas community that you think might be interesting. From my experience, that really works to figure out what you want to do while at Douglas College.