Items that students can find within their safety packs. Credit: Courtesy of Nathan Loos
Ohio State’s Undergraduate Student Government has teamed up with the Office of Student Life and other OSU entities to create a student safety pack to improve student safety in the off-campus housing area.
The safety pack, which will be distributed free of charge, will contain window and door alarms, smoke alarm fans, safety timers, safety brochures and other various safety and wellness items.
“By gathering these resources and putting them in one place and directly giving it to students in the off-campus area, I think that’s the best chance students have to access the information, use the products and hopefully prevent crime,” said Sunder Sai, the deputy director of USG’s Health and Safety Committee and a second-year in neuroscience.
Sai said he has been working on this project since the start of the school year after he was mugged and assaulted in the off-campus area in July. He said he wants to ensure that students feel safe in and around their homes off campus.
“Ever since that happened, I took on this role of deputy director of this committee, and I’ve been trying to make sure that this happens to no one else ever again,” Sai said.
Aside from items to keep homes protected, the student safety pack will also include brochures with safety information, a banner pen with different safety phone numbers and stress sticks.
Sai said that Student Legal Services, Student Advocacy Center, Department of Public Safety and Off-Campus and Commuter Student Services were all contributors to the safety pack project.
David Isaacs, the communications and media relations manager of the Office of Student Life, said that Student Life fully supports USG and their efforts to improve student safety awareness.
“The safety of our students and all members of the Ohio State community is our top priority,” he said. “We are pleased that Undergraduate Student Government is also focused on safety, and the Office of Student Life is very happy to contribute items and information for their latest initiative.”
Caroline Koenig, a second-year in nursing, said she looks forward to getting the student safety pack and installing the door and window alarms after having her house broken into earlier this academic year.
“I’m glad that they’ve made these resources easily available and are looking out for the safety of the students that don’t live on campus,” Koenig said.
Students will have to sign a waiver form that will be attached to the student safety pack to release liability of USG and OSU and its entities that contributed. More details about the safety packs can be found here. Delivery dates provided on the online order form run through Sunday.
