By Shylo Adams
“I didn’t even know that we had security at our school,” said Julia Cellucci, a fourth-year marketing student at Ryerson. PHOTO BY BRIAR HOPLEY
Ryerson students, reeling from reports of sexual assaults on and near the Toronto campus, met this week to openly talk about their fears and propose strategies for personal safety.
“They aired their concerns,” said Marwa Hamad, a vice-president of the Ryerson Student Union, which organized the meetings Wednesday and Thursday. “They shared their own personal experiences [and] shared their ideas on how we can move forward.”
The meeting attracted faculty, support staff, and students.
“We’ve had six sexual assaults reported on and near campus since the opening of campus this semester,” Hamad said.
“It’s good to get the discussion going . . . We decided that we needed to come together as a community.”
Hamad said notices from security have been sent out and posted onto bulletins.
Julia Cellucci, a fourth-year marketing student at Ryerson, has seen the posters but not the security guards.
She said she felt particularly vulnerable leaving the campus at night.
“I’m scared,” said Cellucci. “Even before I heard about the sexual assaults it was kind of scary because there were a lot of creeps down there.”
And Cellucci isn’t alone.
“I would be concerned if I was at school later,” said Lisa Bulfon, a fourth-year retail management student.
Hamad said police have yet to identify any suspects in any of the cases, the first of which occurred Sept.4.
RSU already has two campaigns centred on sexual assault, and will be continuing the conversation with another meeting at Ryerson on Sept. 27.