Students respond to campus safety measures

Cartoon by Matt Griesmyer.

With the shocking death of UHCL student Jayachandra Elaprolu still fresh in our minds, UHCL students understandably harbor concern for our own personal safety on campus as well as navigating the greater Houston area.

It is especially important for international students here at UHCL to feel secure in their newfound surroundings.

A sampling of international students admitted a sense of apprehension involved with the relocation process in tandem with assimilating to a foreign country while maintaining an acceptable GPA. These anxieties are understandable; what is unacceptable is for students to be made to fear their surroundings due to heightened criminal activity.

The incidence of violent crime on UHCL campus is astoundingly low compared to other universities in the state. In a “Top 50” study compiled by StateUniversity.com, UHCL stands as the fourth safest university in Texas.

Also worthy of note, our campus holds the highest safety rating amongst all University of Houston campuses in 2010 and similarly received the 21st spot out of 450 nationwide universities for highest safety rating.

Such statistics are due, in part, to the campus’ precautionary actions to provide students with proactive services.  UHCL’s reputation for offering provisions including campus police patrol, shuttle buses and Rape Aggression Defense System self-defense classes has helped reassure students that sources of positive reinforcement and assistance are available.

Unfortunately for the programs, all international students surveyed respectfully argued that the shuttle bus schedule is an unpredictable service lacking in quantity of buses as well as frequency.

These buses are many international students’ safest and most practical mode of transportation. The majority of these first-semester students live near the campus and do not currently possess a valid Texas driver’s license. Many female international students expressed concern about attending night classes with an inconsistent and delayed shuttle bus schedule.

Additionally, the R.A.D. System is well advertised through e-mail and posters throughout campus, but nearly all surveyed participants voiced that scheduling conflicts prevented them from attending the self-defense classes. Most insisted they would like to attend.

One international student remarked that she does not believe the R.A.D. System would prove beneficial, as she had previously attended a similar program with substandard results back in her native India. Moreover, she commented that the Clear Lake area appeared as safe as India although she initially felt the wave of trepidation that comes with inhabiting a new environment.

As Americans, we often contemplate the possible dangers that go along with visiting a foreign country. We think of ourselves as the most secure country in the world and cast a cautious eye toward other countries’ crime rates.

Interestingly enough, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime’s records on international crime determined that through a population rate per 100,000, India had an estimated 2.8 crime rating in 2007. The same report listed the U.S. with a projected 5.2 crime rate in 2008.

UNODC documents suggest that the U.S. has a higher incidence of crime when compared not only to India, but also in juxtaposition with a 2006 UN-CTS report of Vietnam.

Jayachandra Elaprolu’s murder was a senseless act. He cooperated with the assailants, gave in to their demands for all the money in the cash register and yet they chose to take the promising life of 22-year-old Elaprolu.

Despite this horrible act of violence, UHCL is still a safe campus. We must not give into our fears of violence, crime or any other reprehensible acts against humanity. Students at UHCL must prepare ourselves and help each other to sustain the security and goodwill that we share for our community.