OSU student sexually assaulted near McPherson Lab

Karl Spaulding

Wed Mar 10 2010 15:14

Someone asked:

"How did no one see or hear anything at 8:45 pm??"

It happens. Go study how criminals operate. Take some crim classes. Talk to cops. Talk to survivors.

We don't have the full story and none of us was there when it happened. People have been kidnapped in populated areas and raped in classrooms during school hours.

One of my students was attacked around noon at the amphitheatre. She got away. Another was molested on High Street around 6pm.

Since most folks don't go around "thinking about crime" like they were James Q. Wilson, they are often easily surprised and shocked into submission.

Violence is an entire subject area unto itself; both learning about it and learning to use it in roughly measured doses because it's your best or only option.

Karl

Anonymous

Wed Mar 10 2010 14:04

How did no one see or hear anything at 8:45 pm??

Anonymous

Mon Mar 8 2010 21:10

More surveillance, weapons, an increase in police, etc. may make some people feel safer, but I do not see this as the answer to creating a community free from sexual violence.

SO- What can we do as a campus, a city, and a community to dismantle rape culture and eliminate violence? Perhaps this is the discussion we should be having.

Anonymous

Thu Mar 4 2010 13:54

And what I mean by that is that precautions are great but they do not mean that you can sit around here and victim blame. This could have happened to anyone, potentially even when the escort service wasn't available.

Anonymous

Thu Mar 4 2010 13:51

The escort service is only open until like 2am or something and sometimes there is a 1-2 hour wait. It's hard to call ahead when you have no idea when you'll be done with something- like a meeting. You should be able to walk around campus at 8pm without getting raped. Period.

Anonymous

Thu Mar 4 2010 13:02

In her defense... McPherson and her dorm are very close. I made that walk at night a hundred times last year.
I know that it's not foolish, but I would feel foolish to call the shuttle to drive me, basically across Woodruff.

Anonymous

Thu Mar 4 2010 11:59

There is also a free OSU escort service that will pick you up and drive you anywhere on campus. There is a phone number you call for them to pick you up. I used to use it when I went to the 24/7 library and would want to come home at midnight but not want to walk across the oval back to dorms.

student leader

Thu Mar 4 2010 00:12

All of the tips are great and do prevent situations.. SOMETIMES. But if an attacker has it in his mind to be destructive, these actions may not always work.

WHY is OSU not doing more to make sexual assault more socially unacceptable? Why are guys allowed to talk about women in such a way that makes them something to use, why are rape jokes heard 10 times a day to condone the action and even make it funny. By the time the OSU system reaches the survivor, it's too late, the act has been done, and all they can do is help direct her to other means of coping, if the university even pays attention enough to notice what has happened.

Grad Student

Wed Mar 3 2010 11:40

The Neil Bldg. does post the Crime Alert signs for crimes that are deemed by OSU as Crime Alerts, but the Neil Bldg. does not inform its residents when crimes and attempted crimes are committed in the Neil Bldg.!

student

Wed Mar 3 2010 01:52

Some dorms have posted signs about this -- Neil Bldg, I'm pretty sure has a sign about it.

grad student

Wed Mar 3 2010 01:27

In the case of this rape, what happened to that elaborate security system developed by OSU that could zoom in on suspicious incidents? I don't think that works quite as well as more security cameras being installed outside and inside of OSU buildings. I, however, was told by an OSU dorm director that OSU doesn't want to put security cameras outside of dorm entries or outside of other campus buildings because of Ohio privacy laws. Well, then why were security cameras installed in the elevators in Jones Tower? They were put in when I lived there and not long before Jones Tower closed for renovation. If these cameras were just to keep an eye on elevator safety/elevator horseplay (as I was told they were), weren't they still recording our private actions (so much for Ohio privacy laws). If OSU can put cameras in elevators, they can certainly put cameras outside and inside of dorm entries and more cameras outside and inside of campus buildings. More cameras could help deter crime and could help catch criminals. I don't like living in a world where big brother is always watching us, but if this is part of what it takes to keep OSU safe, then I'm all for it.

Concerned Student

Wed Mar 3 2010 00:46

I agree that when a crime or even an attempted crime happens in or around a campus building OSU and OSU police should immediately warn those working/studying/living in or around the particular building. Recently in my graduate dorm, there was a man going around searching for unlocked rooms. My understanding is that he was trying different door knobs. Who knows what his intentions were: burglary, robbery, rape? I just happened to be in the lobby at the time when the front desk was notified and I overheard what was happening. The front desk workers, however, wouldn't give me the man's description. As a resident, I had the right to know!!! An OSU policeman soon arrived and started checking the building. He asked me if I saw...(at least he gave me the description of the man). But, my graduate-dorm director, the OSU policeman, the assistant graduate-dorm directors, the SAs, and the desk workers never did warn the students in our complex about the attempted crime(s). No one went around to tell the residents to watch out, no e-mail was sent, no floor meetings were held, and no signs were posted! This could've been a serious matter, but, like usual, OSU takes crime/attempted crime so lightly! Yes, shame on them! There've been other incidents in this graduate-dorm and only a few people know about them. So, it doesn't suprise me that OSU and OSU police didn't immediately warn those working/studying in and around McPhersonLab about the rape. They certainly should've!

Anonymous

Tue Mar 2 2010 23:53

I walk through that area at much later hours than 8:45pm. I'm actually surprised more people weren't around when this happened. OSU is a tough campus to patrol given how spread out it is, so perhaps the university should consider installing more lighitng along certain walkways in hopes that most late night traffic will use those paths. Not to get all Big Brother, but I wouldn't object to cameras outside of buildings in which students work into the late hours. I the thing I would caution would be to immediately advocate for lifting gun carrying restrictions. I'm a gun owner myself but if I come up on two students in civilian cloths shooting at each other than who do I shoot at? It would turn into chaos and I think it would cause far more harm than good. I don't know what kind of victim counseling the university has but I hope she gets some help.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 2 2010 22:07

I agree wholeheartedly that OSU needs to be making students aware of these occurrences, especially considering SEL is right across the street from McPherson. Many, many a student walks home from there at odd hours of the night and Student Safety Services only does escorts until 2:40am (and let's be real- they don't have the capacity to drive every student home that's in this area late at night nor are most students willing to wait 1-2 hours in all situations). It's so easy to be lured into a false sense of security while on campus. Additionally, I think it's important for students to remember that ANYONE can become a victim in these situations. For all we know this victim took all the necessary precautions, short of carrying a weapon and having someone with her. We should really be requesting better surveillance and maybe some more cooperation from this university that cares so much about its students.

UB

Tue Mar 2 2010 21:35

Was wondering whether the Security Alarms (The blue ones) out there work or not....I also work in that general area at all hours of the day....these security posts used to give a lot of confidence to me, not any more....Its bad and its scary...lets fight it...

Anony Mous

Tue Mar 2 2010 20:14

As someone who is constantly in that general area at all hours of the day, I also wonder why were were not warned about this. Shame on you, OSU.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 2 2010 17:45

I would like to know why as grad students working in McPherson, often very late at night, we were not immediately made aware of this attack? This is unacceptable and irresponsible of the school!

Anonymous

Tue Mar 2 2010 16:49

More university police officers on campus, please

Anonymous

Tue Mar 2 2010 16:27

Plan your route ahead of time, call someone before you leave so they know when you should be home, use the buddy system, carry a small legal knife and know how to use it, don't brave a walk alone, the creeps come out at night, but it can happen at any hour.

Anonymous

Tue Mar 2 2010 15:48

In most cases, if you're in a situation where you need a gun you've already screwed up. I'm not about to blame the victim, but there are things we can all do to dramatically reduce the odds of being a victim to nearly zero, and none of them require a gun. (I'm a gun owner, BTW, and have an Ohio CCL. Thinking "I have a gun, I'm safe" is pretty much guaranteed to end badly.)

Mormon's suggestions *work*. Be alert, be aware, keep your head up, don't walk alone. Perps will look for an easier target. Be aware of your surroundings, so you aren't caught with your figurative pants down if someone does try to make you a victim, and can effectively defend yourself.