DPS hosts self-defense classes for students
Benjamin Lin says he knows students who have started carrying knives in order to feel safe on campus. While Lin himself does not carry any such weapon, he understands his friends’ sentiments.
‘They’re so scared of what might go down… It’s not really wrong because of everything that has been going on,’ said Lin, a junior interior design major.
In recent weeks, five Syracuse University students were robbed and three students were stabbed outside the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity house. With this crime rise, Lin said the university should provide self-defense classes for students.
His call is right on time, as the Department of Public Safety is beginning its regular Rape Aggression Defense training, a national program to teach women to defend themselves, on Tuesday, Oct. 13 and Wednesday, Oct. 21. Held every Tuesday and Wednesday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., these sessions will be in SkyBarn on South Campus and each will run for four weeks.
But Lt. Jill Lentz, who also is one of the R.A.D. trainers, said R.A.D training is not a general self-defense class. ‘We’re not trying to teach people to suddenly fight all the bad guys,’ said Lentz adding that the program tells students that they should give up their possessions if they are being robbed. ‘Their life is more important.’
While the R.A.D program focuses on safety from rape, SU has had personal safety classes in the past.
‘We had a regular self-defense class a while back and there were a couple of situations on campus that prompted public safety to do a more centralized class, the R.A.D classes. It’s not as vague as self defense,’ said Eliza Decker, assistant director for facility wellness and aquatics in recreational services.
Self-defense classes used to be taught through the Late Night at the Gym program in the past, said Ernie Rivera, assistant director of Late Night at the Gym.
‘I was thinking about doing it this semester but I didn’t see that much interest… We tried it a couple of times and we couldn’t get enough people to come,’ Rivera said.
Even with the newest string of violence, not all students agree with the idea to reinstate this type of class. Thomas Richard, a senior political science major, said he wouldn’t take a self-defense class because he thinks most of the information in these classes is obvious. ‘You just have to watch where you go…you have to be smart. Don’t walk alone. Don’t wear headphones and stay alert. It’s all common sense,’ Richard said.
Sam Lindegren, a junior advertising design major in the College of Visual and Performing Arts, agreed and said she would not be interested in a self-defense class. However she said a rape defense class is a good idea for the SU campus.
‘I would take a rape defense class,’ said Lindegren. ‘There’s such a difference between women’s and men’s safety…Girls are much less likely to get beat up, but (rape) is the scariest thing that could happen to us.’
Lentz said that while she hasn’t seen an increased interest in general self-defense classes, she has had more students inquiring about R.A.D training.
‘But if the interest is there for a new self-defense class, students just have to tell us (Late Night at the Gym). Then it’s something we will definitely look into for next semester,’ said Rivera.
Published on October 7, 2009 at 12:00 pm
