A member of the editorial board was leaving Gerlinger Annex a little after 10 p.m. Saturday when she saw a woman lying on the ground near Knight Library and two men standing above her in what appeared to be an assault. One of the men yelled at the gathering crowd to leave, and stated that everything was “under control.” Most onlookers obeyed and began to walk away, but a few stayed and called the Department of Public Safety.
Even though DPS arrived and determined the event was not an attempted assault, it is startling that most of the witnesses, apparently not wanting to get involved, walked away. Perhaps they felt that getting involved would have seemed nosy, or maybe they just figured that someone else in the crowd would call the police.
Whatever their reasons for walking away, the situation could have been an actual assault and it would have been a terrible thing to not offer assistance.
It may seem uncomfortable to get involved, but if a situation appears suspicious at all, it is important to not walk away. This doesn’t mean witnesses to possible crimes must get involved physically; just calling DPS is important. Even if the incident doesn’t turn out to be a crime, reporting it is worth the potential embarrassment of being wrong, because bringing attention to suspicious behavior could possibly save a fellow human from becoming a victim of assault, or worse.
Taking action in these situations is important any time, but especially now, when assaults and attempted assaults have become more frequent on campus. It’s true there hasn’t been an attempted attack reported on campus in many weeks, but that doesn’t mean we should be reassured or lulled into a false sense of safety.
Anyone who witnesses a threatening situation on campus should realize it’s important not to just turn away. It’s imperative to notify DPS immediately at 346-5444 or 6-6666 from a campus phone. It could save someone’s life.
This editorial represents the opinion of the Emerald editorial board. Responses can be sent to [email protected]