The Residence Hall Association failed to support Student Government’s Walk Home Cocky Program at a Tuesday night meeting.
The resolution for RHA to express their support of the program that aims to walk students home from the Thomas Cooper Library late at night needed a simple majority to pass but failed, with a vote of 8-19.
“At this time, we appreciate RHA’s debate on the matter tonight, and we took several notes on how we can address concerns on the program. As always, this is a new program to USC, and we will always continue to improve on the program,” said Brandon White, SG’s ambassador to RHA. “We don’t see this as much as a disapproval of the project but more of a continued conversation with the RHA.”
White said that SG sees the debate that occurred at the RHA meeting as a positive sign that many residence hall senators are interested in the program.
One of the main concerns that senators had with the Walk Home Cocky initiative was that it is not as safe as other options, especially in the wake of last weekend’s shooting, in which first-year international business student Martha Childress was struck by a stray bullet and left paralyzed from the waist down.
“I feel that some of the senators were still not convinced in the safety of having any number of students at dark at night wandering around the campus, especially after the tragic events that happened this weekend,” said RHA President Phillip Allan.
RHA Sen. Mariah Humphrey was one of them, saying she thought buses and police offered a more safe option.
Although there were some concerns with the program itself, the resolution still received support from senators. One of the main arguments was that USC police can respond to the radios that Walk Home Cocky volunteers carry within 30 seconds, but it takes them one minute to respond to blue-light emergency phones.
“I believe that this program is safe, because the volunteers for this program have undergone training and it has USC PD support,” said Kyle Ballard, the senator who proposed the resolution. “In case of an emergency, the police department could respond to a Walk Home Cocky volunteer faster than they could to a blue light just because they have their position at all times.”
The training for Walk Home Cocky volunteers was also a major topic of debate. All volunteers are required to attend a three- to four-hour training session in which they learn about expectations and regulations of the program, hear from campus police and are trained in walking and radio procedures.
Some students, however, still believe that this training is not enough.
“It’s a safe walk program, and if for some reason something does happen, these students do not have the training or the resources to keep people safe,” said RHA Sen. Lee Goble.
The Walk Home Cocky program is currently in a soft launch, meaning that the program is being run without any advertising.
The official launch is not until Oct. 21, but five students used the service on Monday night, and 13 used it on Tuesday.
“This is very substantial, considering we have only just started it, and we haven’t done any advertising,” said Missy Torgerson, who coordinates the Walk Home Cocky program.
According to Torgerson, the Walk Home Cocky program has already received many positive comments from the students who have made use of the initiative.
“We’ve been very excited because we feel like we’re making a difference in these people’s lives,” Torgerson said.
Walk Home Cocky organizers have spoken with the USC police, who believe that three students is a safe number. Any student who wants a walk home from the Thomas Cooper Library is paired with both a male and female student.
“The idea is safety in numbers, and people who are walking in groups of three are less likely to be approached,” Torgerson said. “I know when I’m walking, I prefer walking in groups of three or more, because I just feel safer at that point.”