The Safety and Security officers at Baldwin Wallace University are collaborating with Student Senate in creating BW’s first ever “meet and greet” with campus security.
Safety programs like an escort service, room lockouts, and 24/7 office hours are just some of the BW Safety and Security program’s features. However, the question that many of the officers impose is how many students are actually familiar with these opportunities.
Jimmy Washington is a supervisor officer who has been working for the Safety and Security department at BW for 39 years. Washington has seen the campus transform generation by generation and wants to create an event to gain a closer relationship with each class so that they are comfortable talking to Safety and Security and are familiar with the safety outlets that are available to them.
“The campus officers and I,” said Washington, “want to get to know the students more to promote a deeper sense of community.”
He decided to coordinate a meet and greet with BW’s safety officers and students so that the students can interact with the officers and feel comfortable around them. In assistance to reach out to the students, Washington is collaborating with the Executive Branch of Student Senate and the members of Student Government.
Andrew Henthorn, student body president has been working with Washington since the beginning of the semester on making this idea a reality. Henthorn said he’s been giving his best advice and suggestions on ways campus security can successfully set up the meet and greet to garner student attention.
“I get the sense that the students don’t get a lot of interaction with Safety and Security,” said Henthorn, “so I think that it would be a great idea for students to have the opportunity to meet with the officers so that they can get comfortable with the new and older campus officers.”
Henthorn said that he has also been working with Student Government on brainstorming ways to advertise for this event. Student Government has been contributing their time by focusing on updating Blackboard and creating flyers to pass out and hang up throughout campus.
Washington and Henthorn finalized the date, place, and time of the event at the Student Senate meeting on Tuesday, Oct. 2.
The time of the event is still undetermined, but Washington wanted to make it convenient and fun for everyone by hosting it around 5 p.m. in the evening on Halloween Day, which will land on a Wednesday. The meet and greet will be held in the Union lobby by the candy counter.
Washington said that students should be on the lookout for some Halloween goodies, such as candy, deserts, other snacks, apple cider, and possibly hot chocolate.
The Safety and Security officers are still in the process of gathering as many officers as they can to come and support but it will all be determined by their shifts.
“I just want to promote safety on this campus,” said Washington, “and build a relationship with the students so they know they can come to us whenever they need help, because that’s what we are here for.”