by Louise Glanzrock
Staff Writer
It is known that many students are out by themselves after dark, whether it is studying at the library late or walking from Brandt to Stu-Han. Students cannot protect themselves enough.
That is why the University of La Verne will issue safety whistles to ULV students in the near future.
John Lentz, director of campus safety and transportation, said, “We hope to have the whistles for Homecoming.”
“When I first heard about them, I called around and it seemed to be working well on other campuses both local and large,” said Lentz. He is responsible for initiating the program. He said getting the whistles was not spurred by any events on campus.
“I think it’s a good program and adds another element to feeling safe on campus,” said Lentz. The whistles are a precaution against any future endangerment a student may be faced with.
If blown, the whistle is intended to either scare someone off or alerts someone to call security.
“It’s a good idea because I am frequently out after dark. It gives you more security,” said Elia Torres, a sophomore at ULV.
“You can never be too safe,” said Eliza Amanat, a junior. “Any action the school can take to keep faculty and students safe, contributes to a positive environment.”
If the whistles are abused, such as blowing the whistles just for fun or in non-emergency situations, sanctions will be applied to the guilty party. Lentz emphasized that the whistles are not to be used as toys.
Lentz said parents tend to worry when their children leave home for the first time and these whistles are one way of relieving some of that worry.
Lentz approached the Associated Students Federation (ASF) Forum to see if it wanted to co-sponsor the program and the Forum members accepted it at their Sept. 10 meeting. ASF paid half the cost for the whistles with the stipulation that the whistles be distributed with an emphasis on education and proper use of the whistles. The whistles cost approximately $850, but the students receive them free.
The whistles initially were scheduled to arrive for orientation, so all of the freshman could be provided with one. Unfortunately, orders for the whistles were backed up.
The process for the whistles to be distributed has not been determined, but it will be the students’ choice if whether to pick one up.
