University of Virginia Library

Male Escorts To Accompany
University Coeds After Dark

By CINDI STUART

Out of an increasing
concern for the safety of
University coeds, Dean of
Students Robert T. Canevari
and Assoc. Dean of Students
Annette Gibbs met yesterday
with First-Year Council and
Alpha Phi Omega (APO)
President Michael Crossley to
establish an extensive escort
service to benefit all female
students, both on and off the
grounds.

Beginning Monday the
University transit system will
provide free service to those
students with an ID card from
6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. APO
service fraternity and the
Inter-Fraternity Council will
provide escorts on each bus to
walk girls to their residence if
it is within normal walking
distance. Coeds may also call a
number to obtain escort service
to the bus stop or the grounds.

The free bus service will
continue until after Christmas,
when a bus pass will be
required. Transit System
Director Kevin J. Adams
commented, "Once students
realize the benefits of the
service available at night, to
buy a bus pass is relatively
inexpensive."

First-year Council is
establishing an escort system
for McCormick and Alderman
Road first-year dorms, similar
to that in effect at Watson
House.

Watson Escort System

The male residents in
Watson have been escorting
coeds to and from the dorms
and places on the Grounds.

Members of the Resident
Staff are organizing a similar
service for Upperclass dorm
residents, including McKim,
Gwathmey; Monroe Hill,
and Alderman Road houses.

Further publicity of the
escort system will be sponsored
through Student Council. Male
volunteers are desperately
needed to show their interest
and willingness to work by
bringing their names and
addresses to the Office of
Student Affairs, according to
Miss Gibbs.

Plans Safety Seminar

Miss Gibbs commented that
in addition to the Office of
Student Affairs and APO, the
IFC and area chaplains are
showing concern in the safety
of the girls on the Grounds.
"Perhaps more importantly," she
added, "the girls are finally
becoming interested."

To stress safety measures
for coeds, the Resident Staff
will sponsor several security
seminars next week. A film will
be shown emphasizing security
measures that women can take.

Third-year student Janet
Palmer, the Program Assistant
for the first-year Resident Staff
remarked, "If one is
sufficiently cautious, she will
not find herself in a situation
where there is a need to be
physical."