Student Safety Promoted During Halloweekend

By Abby Chapman

Reporting Texas

UT Students walk on Guadalupe Street in Halloween costumes in Austin, Texas, on Oct. 31, 2024. (Abby Chapman/Reporting Texas TV)

As students walked around West Campus in their Halloween costumes on Oct. 31, student safety was the priority for organizations like SafeHorns and University of Texas Transportation. The streets of West Campus were lively on the spookiest night of the year. 

SafeHorns, a student safety organization, founded by parents in 2016 after the murder of UT student Haruka Weiser. The organization hosted a safety and health collaboration with Safely, a pepper spray brand the week before Halloween. 

Joell McNew, president of SafeHorns, said student’s need to be aware of their surroundings during times like Halloweekend. 

“We also shared information about the Safely program, and drink spiking, because that is happening in Austin and everyone needs to be aware of what they are drinking,” McNew said.

McNew even shared safety tips for situations when places do not allow items like pepper spray. She said a ball point pen is all you need to defend yourself because the pen can collect assailant DNA on its tip. 

“You have that pen in your hand. You just pop them as hard as you can on their neck and keep going,” McNew said.

The director of UT transportation, Blanca Gamez, says SureWalk and Night Rides is highly utilized during busy times like Halloween. 

“We know that student night life does not end on campus at 8 or 9. There are a lot of events, late night study sessions, things happening that go well past midnight,” Gamez said.

Elizabeth Hotchkiss, a student, frequently uses both the West Campus Ambassadors and UT SureWalk programs.

“I have used both. I use SureWalk, and SureWalk is normally what I use when I’m going from on campus to off campus,’’ Hotchkiss said.

Hotchkiss says she never walks alone at night because you never know who is lurking in West Campus late at night. 

Night Rides provides a $100 credit for students. All students have to do is download the LYFT app and email Night Rides to get those credits. If you run out of credits, UT transportation can easily replenish your account.