On Friday, Sept. 17, Brockport Student Government [BSG] held their second meeting of the fall semester; discussing officer reports and student safety. One student attending the meeting asked what BSG is doing regarding the rumors of an attempted abduction that occurred last week.
There was no response from the college itself warning students about this incident, only an informal email from a professor advising women to “walk in pairs or groups after dusk” and to “exercise an abundance of caution.” This email was shared and spread by students across social media overnight, warning women to be safe considering the incident.
BSG President Justin Crawford, a senior at SUNY Brockport, was unable to comment on behalf of the college itself on the alleged attempted abduction of a fellow female student and the college’s response- or lack thereof.
Crawford explained that he is unsure what the college is doing in response to the incident but assures BSG is always working to make SUNY Brockport a safer place for students and mentioned their attempts to work with University Police [UP] to keep women safe.
“We will try to make an effort to hold the rest of Brockport accountable and make sure students are safe. That’s our number one priority,” Crawford said.
Crawford mentioned in the meeting that students can call UP and request a safe ride or escort in areas they feel unsafe walking alone in. He has made a personal commitment to the students at SUNY Brockport to feel safe and heard, allowing them to feel more involved in important decisions around campus.
BSG also discussed an incident form they are working on, which allows students to report incidents or issues witnessed with the option of being anonymous. They want it to be open to the student body, giving students a platform to speak up about any issues that arise, without fear of backlash. The incident form would inform BSG about incidents across campus, so they can then tackle these issues and help students feel safer.
Another topic discussed in this meeting was the possibility of the Social Arts club being suspended indefinitely. The Social Arts club is lacking in student turnout for meetings, as only one person showed up for the last meeting. BSG discussed the possibility of suspending the club’s budgets depending on how the next meeting goes.
On a more positive note, BSG was happy to announce their increase in social media engagement from students and their success with securing discounted parking in the parking garage across from campus. By having more students engaged with their social media, they can inform students of events happening around campus and create polls or surveys online as an outlet for students to voice their opinions.
“My biggest goal is to enhance the student experience and build a better Brockport,” Crawford said.
Upcoming events by BSG to keep an eye on are Brocktoberfest and Homecoming. Brocktoberfest will be held the first week of October, possibly on Alumni Walk, and is Halloween themed. Homecoming will be held October 21-23 and the Golden Eagle football team will host the Hartwick Hawks.
