In preschool, students are often told that these are the basic rules of safety: Don’t run with scissors, don’t talk to strangers and look both ways when crossing the street.
Although college students’ locations and situations have changed since their days in preschool, those instructions have remained the same.
Lisa Foisy, co-director of the ASUO Women’s Center, suggested that students walk with friends and avoid dark areas such as Pioneer Cemetery.
Foisy also advised single travelers to walk confidently, directly and remember that “there is no need to be polite to strangers.”
Tom Hicks, associate director of the Department of Public Safety, said the University offers several safety features to make students more comfortable at night.
Blue-lit emergency phones are often a noticeable option for pedestrians. There are a total of 37 “e-phones” located both indoors and outdoors around campus, he said. The e-phones are equipped with a blue light for night visibility, and the outdoor e-phones are mounted on yellow pedestals. Once the red button is pressed, DPS will respond immediately.
E-phones are attached to the sides of some buildings. They are also installed in all University elevators and located in larger buildings such as the Knight Library, Lawrence Hall and the Student Recreation Center.
The e-phones average three activations a day, although Hicks said the majority of calls tend to be pranks or misunderstandings.
In addition, DPS provides a courtesy escort service for both men and women based on the availability of on-duty personnel. Hicks advised the University community: “If anyone is feeling threatened at all, don’t be afraid to call.”
For those people who can’t or shouldn’t drive, the ASUO funds the Designated Driver Shuttle for University students. The free shuttle service provides a safe, alternative mode of transportation for intoxicated students and their friends that prevents them from endangering themselves and others by driving drunk.
The University also offers a rape-prevention shuttle service specifically for women. Project Saferide was started in 1985 when the student government discovered that an overwhelming majority of women did not feel safe walking alone at night.
Based on the idea of women-helping-women, Saferide operates three on-campus vans that provide free rides to groups of three or fewer women. The volunteer-based program serves the University and its immediate surrounding areas. Because of its limited capacity, women should make reservations as soon as they know they need a ride.
Nikki Sancher, co-director of Saferide, said the service allows women to proceed normally without being in a constant state of cautiousness.
“Saferide empowers women to help themselves instead of relying on a date or friend,” she said.

No new attacks

by campus predator
In six separate incidents on or near campus last spring, women were attacked by an unidentified man. The attacks occurred behind Johnson Hall, in Alton Baker Park and by the Pioneer Cemetery.
Although a similar harassment occurred on the bike path on Delta Highway this summer, Hicks said the incident has not been linked to a particular person. He added that no one has been apprehended and no further campus incidents have been reported.
The common thread among the campus attacks was that the survivors were alone and did not use the available emergency phones, Hicks said.
Foisy warned students that 85 percent of sexual assaults happen between acquaintances. But she said people tend to more frequently fear strangers, though they represent a smaller percentage of attacks.