During my freshman year of college, I remember walking back to my dorm late one night after spending hours in the library. I lived on North Campus, which wasn’t an extremely populated area of campus at night. As I was walking, I passed by two men (not men as in your typical college-aged males, but like men-men, in their 30’s and creepy as hell) in black hoodies, drinking and smoking cigarettes.
I remember one of them yelling something at me that I didn’t catch. I didn’t stick around long enough to try to figure it out, because I booked it back to my dorm.
I told the person working the front desk what had happened and they had me call the campus police station. Mind you, I am from an extremely small town where stuff like this almost never happens. Sure, it could have been just some drunk guys trying to hit on me, but the situation just didn’t sit well with me.
This was only the start.
Since then, I have become much more aware about the shady stuff that happens in a college town. Young women have had flannels tied to their windshield wipers as a trap for human trafficking. Girls have been stalked and threatened by guys on campus through Tinder and other dating sites. I have had friends feel like they were being followed while they were driving home at night.
Most recently, I saw something on Twitter about a student having to drive over a curb after two cars tried to block her in while she was using an atm at night. This is what set me over the edge to write this article.
It’s not fair. It’s not fair that I have to run a different route every day because I’m afraid someone will catch on. It’s not fair that people have to warn me to take my sorority stickers off the back window of my car, just so creeps won’t know my car belongs to a woman and wait for me in the parking lot. It’s not fair that being a woman is like having a target on your back.
We’re just trying to further our education and get that diploma. It is absolutely horrible that college campuses are a hot spot for kidnappings and rapes.
However, I’m not writing this article just to scare you. I’m writing this article because of the reality of this day in age. It sucks, but this shit happens every day, whether you hear about it or not. You need to keep your guard up everywhere you go and with everyone you meet. It’s sad, but a few bad people ruin it for everyone else.
Okay– Rant over. If you’ve stayed with me this long (which I really hope you did because this is a super important topic!) here are some tips to keep you safe on your college campus.
Be aware of your surroundings at all time
This kind of stuff doesn’t just happen at night. Keep your guard up during the day. If something doesn’t look right, it probably isn’t. Don’t be afraid to call your campus security or the local police station– that’s what they’re there for.
Safe Rides/Blue Light Emergency Buttons
This is specific to Central, but I really hope that other colleges have similar resources for students. If you’re too afraid to walk back to your dorm from your night class, take a safe ride. See something that makes you not feel safe? Use a blue light emergency button (scattered throughout campus) and campus police will be right there for you.
Travel in Groups/ the Buddy System
I probably sound like your mom by now, but this is something that needs to be reiterated. This means it’s probably not a good idea to go to the bar by yourself, even if you’re meeting people there. Don’t go to unfamiliar places alone.
Don’t be Dumb
I want to make this clear: I’m not saying that if something happens, it’s your fault. Because it’s not. At all. It’s not your fault there are bad people in the world. But what I do mean by this is, don’t go thinking that you’re invincible. Try not to put yourself in a risky situation. Please please PLEASE put your safety first before anything else.