<p>The IDS reports that a 19 year old student was raped Friday night while she was jogging at 8:30 pm near McNutt. No arrests have been made yet so the rapist is still out there. This campus can feel very safe, but it is not utopia . Do whatever you can to protect yourself, do not run or walk alone at night , especially in poorly lit or isolated areas. Be safe! I hope to see increased police patrols.</p>
<p>at 8 30pm? thats still early!
really should be careful… thx for sharing.</p>
<p>It certainly looks like IU administration needs to wake up to the recent events. Campus safety cannot be compromised. I stayed at the Union Hotel one time this past summer. My impression was that there wasn’t sufficient lighting in many parts of the campus. Vehicles were not restricted in most of the campus either. It is possible that students could be abducted by outsiders. Can students call campus police for escort back to their dorms after dark? Is there surveillance at bus stops? Would campus police be able to respond to an emergency call in two minutes?</p>
<p>Well that’s no fun to hear, especially because I walk alone on campus at night all the time. I never once feared for my safety because I do feel incredibly safe at IU, but no where is perfect. Oh well… no more walks back home from Forest to Foster at midnight for me.</p>
<p>Isn’t there an service you can call to get an escort? </p>
<p>And Leila is right, no where is immune to things like this, unfortunately. Lone women in particular are at risk, everywhere. It’s just a fact of life, sadly. You have to look out for yourself, walk in groups and BE ALERT.</p>
<p>I especially urge people not to jog or walk with headphones on, or talking on the phone (especially at night)–it may be pleasant, but it makes you terribly unaware of your surroundings. Most attackers will pick an easy target, and that makes you an easy target.</p>
<p>That said, IU is probably a lot safer than many places.</p>
<p>There is an escort service. Here’s the link: [url=<a href=“http://php.indiana.edu/~iusase/]Home[/url”>http://php.indiana.edu/~iusase/]Home[/url</a>]</p>
<p>I think that it is easy for students on any campus to feel like they are living in this bubble where bad stuff doesn’t happen. And even if they do recognize that stuff like this can happen, they don’t think it will ever happen to them. </p>
<p>You know the saying, “Friends don’t let friends drive drunk.” ? Well, I tell my kids that “Friends don’t let friends walk home alone after dark.” So, if you are going to be out after dark, either walk with a group or call the escort service.</p>
<p>…coming down off my Mom soapbox. : )</p>
<p>According to an article on the website WTHR.com, the Indianapolis news network, there have been 5 sexual assaults reported on the IU campus since August and no arrests. The 4 earlier incidents involved late night drinking . The most recent incident is disturbing because it happened in the early evening and did not involve drinking. Caution and extra patrols are necessary.</p>
<p>Comparatively speaking, college campuses are fairly safe. One of the tragedies of this situation was the girl was jogging, so escort services and friends were unlikely to be usable safety options. </p>
<p>There are over 42,000 students at IU with probably an equal number of number of employees and staff. Throw in the surrounding Bloomington area and you easily have over 100,000 people living, working and studying in a fairly small area. Sadly, there is a high probability that some of those 100,000 are going to have less than noble interests. I’d like to believe that IU is still a fairly safe locale and this incident sounds very different than the other 4 cited by lsb312, but it is a stark reminder of how important it is to remind all our kids that college truly is out in the “real world”. </p>
<p>The one bit of advice I’ve given my kids is when they’re out alone at night (whether on-campus or in any city) is pay attention. TAKE OUT THOSE D*MN WHITE EAR-BUDS and put your head on a swivel. A lot of trouble can be prevented or avoided simply by actively paying attention to your surroundings.</p>
<p>anyone looked at your bursar bill recently? there is now a $3.00…I forget what it’s called “sexual assault fund” … or something like that. Hope it’s helping to pay for extra campus security.</p>
<p>R124687, the Rape Crisis Fund fee is an optional fee that students choose when they register for classes. See [One</a> click aids rape victims | Campus | Indiana Daily Student](<a href=“http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=74540&search=rape]One”>http://www.idsnews.com/news/story.aspx?id=74540&search=rape) for more info.</p>