HOUSTON – Dr. John Rudley, president of Texas Southern University, is a guest on Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall and said the recent shooting death of a TSU freshman was particularly painful because of the role his school plays in their lives.
"We take these students as our own," he said. "We're local parents in absence of their parents."
There were shootings on TSU's campus three times within six weeks, resulting in two deaths and three injuries. Rudley said he is not certain that the school can ever be totally safe, but he said TSU is still a good place for those who "need an opportunity to get a great education."
Much more from Rudley on this week's Houston Newsmakers.
Crime Stoppers of Houston Executive Director Rania Mankarious and University of Houston Sgt. Dina Padovan take on the subject of crimes on college campuses.
Crime Stoppers of Houston is actively offering up to $5,000 in rewards for information leading to felony charges or arrests of Houston-area criminals, including those involved in TSU incidents.
"Every single one of them has left a clue that they're about to do what they're going to do," Mankarious said of the criminals. "So we focus on getting those kids to trust us."
Padovan offers advice that students and parents can use to stay safer on college campuses.
Fort Bend residents are using voting centers this election, the first time that process has been in place.
Ft. Bend Elections Administrator John Oldham said there will be 78 voting sites on Election Day, many of them the same ones used for early voting, and that means there will be very few excuses for failing to vote.
"It will eliminate those provisional ballots cast as a result of voting in the wrong place, which could not be counted under Texas law," he said. "It will eliminate the frustration that people find by showing up at the wrong place."
More on the voting centers concept Sunday morning.
Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall airs at 10 a.m. Sunday after "Meet the Press" on KPRC Channel 2.
More Information:
• John Rudley, Ed.D., president of Texas Southern University, 713-313-7044
• Rania Mankarious, executive director, Crime Stoppers of Houston, 713-521-4600
• Sgt. Dina Padovan, University of Houston crime prevention coordinator, 713-743-3333
• John Oldham, Ft. Bend elections administrator, 281-341-8670
• Or www.fortbendvotes.org