Decrease in self-defense class attendance worries officials

Southern University and officials host self-defense classes for female students three times each semester but student interest and attendance has decreased.
The self-defense classes started last September with 15 students and dropped to six students in the second class held January 30-31.
Southern University Police Department Officer Jocelyn Johnson SUPD believes that female students feel secure and less motivated to protect themselves because the serial killer has not struck recently.
The Baton Rouge Police Department has given a profile of the serial killer to SUPD and is still in search of the serial killer.
Officials believe that the same person who murdered Charlotte Murray Pace 22, Pam Kenimore 44, Gina Wilson Green 41, within a four month period also murdered Dene Colomb 23, on November 24, 2002.
“We put up flyers in the dormitories,” said Johnson. ” Females prop doors open and leave windows up. Little things can help when a situation arrives like the serial killer. People think that protecting yourself will come to you, but it doesn’t.”
However, some females are taking advantage of the classes.
“When you get attacked you can’t just run to protect yourself from getting raped or killed,” said Eva Honeywood, a sophomore studying elementary education from Saint Joseph. “I learned from the class that if I have to defend myself I’m going to fight you with whatever I have.”
Loyola and Brusly police are trained by the Rape Aggression Defense System to teach students methods of protection in case of attack.
Officer Johnson went to the SU Chief of Police, Dale Flowers to start a self-defense class last year.
“I noticed that not only this university but other historically black colleges and universities don’t address sex crimes for fear it will stop people from coming. If women don’t care they won’t protect themselves and know what power they have. It’s not a matter of size or strength but of knowledge of how to protect yourself,” said Johnson.
The next defense class is February 26-28 in Seymour Gym.
For more information contact Officer Johnson at 771-2770.