Unescorted
Around midnight last Wednesday, I called the university’s escort service from the library and requested to go to Ackell Residence Center. Since I ride the escort frequently, I knew that it could arrive promptly or take forever. I paced back and forth in the forum of the library, praying the van would arrive in the next two minutes.
I asked the library’s security guard what was going on with the escort service. She informed me that they may take a lot longer because at midnight they do a shift change, and sometimes the night-shift employees may not come on time.
After 50 minutes went by, I decided to call the escort service again and requested an explanation about the long wait. The receptionist said there was only one escort, they had just changed shifts and just to hang tight.
Fortunately, a friend of mine offered me a ride, and I gladly accepted. I guess I’ll never know how much longer I would have waited.
Since VCU continues to expand its campus and take in more students, it should invest in more escorts. After 10 p.m., one escort should remain at the library and operate like a shuttle bus. About every 10 or 15 minutes, the escort should continue to transfer students from the library to their desired destination inside of the escort’s limits.
I suspect many students do not use the escort service, and that’s probably because many of them do not want to wait. If these solutions were implemented, students would be more safe from the threat of robberies and attacks while on campus.
– Zakia Williams
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