Purdue hosts competition to diminish human trafficking
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) – Interstate 65 makes Tippecanoe County an ideal location for human trafficking.
In 2017, there were nearly 100 cases throughout the state. Purdue University is looking to decrease that number with a Feb. 14 competition. It’s purposefully on Valentine’s Day.
The Purdue’s 150th Event on Mitigating Human Trafficking is sponsored by Purdue Polytechnic along with Discovery Park, Data Mine, and Purdue Peace Project. It’s free to the public.
Purdue students Sid Chowdhury and Kayla Rux are entering the competition.
“I know it goes on in Indiana and I know it’s a serious topic but I don’t know much more than that,” Rux said. “So, I’m hoping from the event I learn much more.”
Chowdhury said, “I’m probably going to read a bunch about it. I’m going to look at stats and trends and look at solutions people have come up with.”
However, it’s not all about the students. Organizers want to include the whole community.
“What we really want to do at this point is just draw attention to the topic,” said co-organizer Chad Laux, an associate professor of computer and information technology at Purdue.
“This isn’t just happening in other countries, but it’s happening in our own backyard,” added co-organizer Kathryn Seigfried-Spellar, an assistant professor in the computer and information technology department at Purdue.
They hope more local community and business leaders will volunteer to mentor students during the competition.
“We’ve already spoken with the Lafayette chief of police, Chief (Patrick) Flannelly is going to be involved, he will be mentoring a team,” Spellar said.
Chowdhury said he loves the concept of the event. “Brainstorming for ideas and trying to come up with concepts and solutions has often led to really creative and not mainstream answers to questions.”
He said he’s looking at it as a networking opportunity but also a chance to actually help the problem.
“Because there will be people listening to this who can actually make change,” Chowdhury said.
The Purdue’s 150th Event on Mitigating Human Trafficking is sponsored by Purdue Polytechnic along with Discovery Park, Data Mine, and Purdue Peace Project. It’s free to the public.