Even with PSafe, we still don’t feel safe

tudent population deletes e-mails from Roger Williams University as if they were going to get a virus from them if they didn't. But on Sept. 28, we got an e-mail that nearly no one deleted. This "Campus Safety Advisory" spread like wildfire around campus and things haven't been the same since.

The e-mail reads, "On Tues­day morning, September 27, Student Affairs was informed of an alleged sexual assault that took place on campus dur­ing the early morning hours of Sunday, September 25. A female student reports she was approached along the path be­tween Marine and Natural Sci­ence and Global Heritage Hall in the early morning hours of Sunday, September 25.

The male pushed the female student into a wooded area and assaulted her. The perpetrator of the assault is unknown at this time and was described by the student as a male wearing a black hoodie and having a large nose."

My first thought was: ‘OMG. Does this guy even go here? How am I supposed to watch out for someone who has a big nose and wears a black hoodie? What kind of descrip­tion is that?'

Let me next point out that this incident was not reported as a rape. The advisory states that the male pushed the female into a wooded area and assaulted her. I am guilty for assum­ing that the assault was a rape, since it involved a male and a female. However, when I reread the advisory, I realized that the news spreading around campus was false.

The very same day I told my mom about the incident and, shortly afterward, she ordered a pepper spray key ring (pink, of course) for my roommates and me. I have heard a lot around campus about this topic, from one extreme to the other. Some students are totally freaked by the whole situation, while others make it into a joke. At a party over the weekend, I heard one guy joking that his friend was the "rapist" because he had a big nose and a black hoodie. Another guy pointed to a wooded area behind MNS and joked to a couple of girls, "Some girl got raped over there."

A few students I have talked to do not even believe that the assault happened. They accused the girl of "crying rape," or of "just wanting some atten­tion." I do not know anyone who would want that kind of attention and lie about being assaulted. Hearing that ap­palled me.

Either way, whatever hap­pened, sexual or physical assault, I am scared and I am discomforted. I have always felt safe walking around this campus, even at 4 a.m. After finishing a paper in the library or GHH, walking back to my room has never been an issue. Now, I am going to think twice about my safety on this campus, and I suggest everyone to do the same.

After the description about the incident, they give us six safety tips for us to follow: walk in well-lit areas, use the buddy system, be aware of your surroundings, look out for yourself and friends, report suspicious activity, and ob­serve locations of "blue light phones".

First of all, I cannot even handle the fact that after the "use the buddy system" sug­gestion, the authors of the e-mail write, "If you need assistance, call Public Safety for an escort." YEAH, RIGHT. I could get a pizza de­livery guy to come faster than Public Safety. They will come if you are lucky but seriously, just use the buddy system. At this point, do not even go to the restroom without bringing a friend.

Then, after the "look out for yourself and friends" sugges­tion, the authors write, "If you are approached, don't be confrontational." Puh-lease. Does pepper spray count as being confrontational? Am I supposed to ask nicely for them not to assault me? No. My parents taught me to kick them where it hurts, scream like a crazy person, and run like the wind if someone ever tried to assault me.

My last issue with these safety reminders is with the blue lights. Honestly, if you go to any other campus and stand at one blue light phone, you can see another phone within prob­ably 100 feet of you. Here, I could count on one hand how many I know of, and I hear through the grape vine that it is questionable whether or not they even work. Cool, Roger, really cool.

Security is just so lax on this campus, which is nice for friends and family coming to visit, but when it comes to my safety, it isn't so great. It is incredibly easy to get onto this campus; you can drive right past the main gate without a care in the world.

All I know is, something needs to change. My safety is not something I should have to worry about on a college cam­pus in a rural area. Honestly, don't we have enough to worry about?