Kennedy Wheeler was denied bail while investigations continue to determine whether he is responsible for sexual assaults near campus.
After Wheeler, 41, was apprehended using a stolen bank card last week, students living off campus breathed a sigh of relief when authorities announced Wheeler could be linked to the six campus area sexual assaults.
While police continue to probe, university staff caution students to remain wary.
“Unfortunately, we live in a world where we need to be mindful of our surroundings and exercise reasonable precautions,” said Bill Hall, vice president for Student Affairs.
“This would be wonderful news if this is indeed the right person, but we need to be cautious — continue to keep the doors and windows locked,” he said.
In an effort to maintain student safety, the Undergraduate Student Government is launching a pilot program with the cooperation of landlords and University Police called the Community Ambassadors Program.
The initiative places a trained ambassador along eight designated streets from West Eighth Avenue to West Norwich Avenue. Each ambassador will communicate safety issues with students along the designated street via e-mail or door-to-door conversations.
“If everything proves successful, (we’ll) have one on every block, due to landlords committed to spending dollars,” said Mike Goodman, USG vice president.
With the backing of landlords and Student Affairs in these highly populated streets, USG is seeking alternative methods of increasing student safety off campus.
“There are several initiatives we’re using to keep people in the loop — it isn’t completely done,” Goodman said. “We’ll work with OSU and the city police department and define problem areas, identifying and finding solutions.
“We recognize that this is a major problem and a large concern for students,” he said. “We’ll continue to fight the battle to ensure safety for students.”
USG is in the process of evaluating lighting across campus, looking for trouble spots where extra light is needed or where obstacles block light.
While safety initiatives are undertaken to prevent crime, there will also be services available to aid those sexual assault victims with the healing and recovery process. After the arrest, some new feelings may arise.
“They’ll have some re-activation of their post-traumatic stress, flashback to the rape, nightmares and be a little hyper-vigilant,” said Louise Douce, director of Counseling and Consultation services.
“If that happens, then there might be another level to the trauma that they need to work through,” she said. “It means there might be a little bit more work to do.”
If former sexual assault victims fear the social stigmas commonly associated with rape, Douce urges victims to seek treatment. Whether a person seeks formal treatment with a counselor, or merely has a support group, Douce cautions if these emotions are left untreated, they may lead to other problems.
“Be very patient with yourself, talk to people who genuinely support you and seek to be really cognizant of self care and avoid self-destructive behaviors, such as the use of alcohol, cutting behaviors, eating disorders and other behaviors,” Douce said.
Above all, as students are advised to take preventive measures or seek therapy from former injuries, it is important to remember that both the healing process and prevention is in the hands of each individual student. These services are only useful if students take advantage of them.
“We are a marvelously adaptive species, and love and connection with other people is very healing,” Douce said. “We can heal from almost anything that happens to us.”
