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Show Mugging Page 3 The Signpost Wednesday, February 2,2005 continued from front 5 2 | 3 Rosie Jones, a University Village resident assistant, logs maintenance issues as she makes her rounds. RAs take turns making rounds three times a night to ensure the safety of the residents. Campus police also patrol the residence halls area. "Her arm and back were bruised and sore," Walker said. "She is doing really well; she has a really tight circle of friends." Walker said the residence hall's staff was not aware of the mugging until the next day when the victim reported it to the campus police. "She is a really strong-willed girl," Walker said. "She really didn't face the facts until the next morning." Resident assistants take turns checking the University Village and Promontory Tower three times a night to ensure the area is secure. "RAs are now recommended to take an escort while doing rounds, especially female RAs because they are more vulnerable," Walker said. Before the mugging occurred, the WSU Police Department was in the process of putting together a Campus Watch as part of a Community, Education and Prevention Program. "The whole purpose of Campus Watch is to get the community involved," LeBlanc said. The program relies on the community keeping their eyes open for any suspicious activity. "Please call the police department if you see any suspicious people hanging around who look like they don't belong there/' - Dane LeBlanc, WSU police captain "Please call the police department if you see any suspicious people hanging around who look like they don't belong there," LeBlanc said. Campus police can be reached at 626-6460. "It's important people get involved; we will have a much safer campus," LeBlanc said. LeBlanc has put together a PowerPoint presentation explaining what the Campus Watch program is for the Student Senate. He said the program is ongoing and is still in its infancy. Future plans include holding a seminar to educate the student body about how students should report things and what they should and shouldn't get involved in. "We don't want students acting as police officers/' LeBlanc said. Leblanc said the WSU Police Department is a small department and needs help keeping the police officers informed about what is happening on campus. "We can't be everywhere all of the time," LeBlanc said. Branagan Webb, WSU student and RA for the University Village, said he is willing to help anybody who has been unnerved by the mugging. "I am willing to walk them to their car, to the bus or to class. I am here for anybody." college students. When more students participate in the democratic process, it is easier to get legislators to listen to the needs of universities. "For the most part, legislators are very sensitive to their constituents," Jones said. "If they aren't, they know they won't get re-elected." Jones suggests that students get involved by learning who their state representatives are and writing letters to let them know their concerns, but that they do it in a constructive manner. "Being disrespectful can actually hurt the cause more than help it," Jones said. Students can also get others involved to help the cause. One great resource is their parents. When legislators see that a concern comes from varying demographics in the constituency, they are more likely to do something about it. "A lot of students have prominent parents," Jones said, "and they can be very influential." Ultimately, the effectiveness of students in the legislative process relies heavily on the students. Students who are concerned' about these issues can find out who their state representatives are and contact them on the state Web site, utah.gov. Students can also get involved with USA by contacting Cody Jones at 626-6888. You can reach Heather HuntWood by calling 626-7655. l _ 6 Q i S l 3 t l i r G continuedfromfront USA president. "We don't want to see that (as) part of tuition." Continued funding for statewide library consortium In past years, USA helped develop a library system shared by colleges throughout the state. As the universities pool their buying power, they are able to get materials at a much lower price. As its third goal, USA is asking the Legislature for continued funding. "The Web site had over 6 million database hits last year," said Carrie Flam, USA adviser. For the site to continue, the Legislature needs to approve continued funding. If it is maintained, the online databases will continue to be valuable resources to students across the state. Getting students out to vote As USA seeks this goal, it understands that the best way to affect legislation is through the ballot. As a long-term goal, the association is seeking to increase voting within the college-student demographic. USA is involved in increasing students' voter awareness so they can cast informed votes. The association is also trying to make voting easier for students. The organization is looking into instituting a policy of Election Day voter registration. Other states such as Minnesota and Idaho have found success in allowing people to register to vote the same day as the election. USA hopes to be able to increase student voting by establishing voting polls on college campuses. This will allow students to vote even if they have to be in class all day. "They already have polls at senior citizen centers to facilitate the elderly," Flam said, "so we feel they should also provide the service for students." Student support needed to help the cause In itsefforts.USAis dependent upon the civic consciousness of You can leave a message for reporter Cory Duchs by calling 626-7655. 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