Warning to students

[Cyclonestate78]

That's kind of funny.

Call me anal, but when I had to walk home in the dark by myself on campus I always had keys in hand.

Not at all. It is always better to prepare for the worst case scenario and have it not happen then to have it happen and not be prepared.

I am shocked that an event like that doesn't trigger off a campus wide alert especially after what happened with the missing ISU student. You would think that a story of potentially an attempted abduction on campus would set off all kinds of warnings due to recent events. I always thought an over abundance of caution was totally necessary in situations like this.

It wasn't that long ago if I remember correctly that there were several muggings late at night on campus and one with a gun involved (not 100% sure on that) that spurred DPS to have their officers carry weapons finally.

 

[acgclone]

The most important thing when something out of the ordinary happens is to report it, ASAP.

I would also advise those who are scared to walk alone, etc to buy some pepper spray. If nothing else, it will give you some piece of mind.

Kind of like the shot gun that I keep under the bed (I live in Kansas City). I doubt I'll ever have to use it, but it sure helps my wife and I sleep better at night knowing that it's there.

 

[Cyclonestate78]

Kind of like the shot gun that I keep under the bed (I live in Kansas City). I doubt I'll ever have to use it, but it sure helps my wife and I sleep better at night knowing that it's there.

+1 Confidence due to superior firepower. Nice.

 

[ISUAgronomist]

Remember you can always carry a knive under 6" on campus. I did at ISU and do where I'm getting my PhD. (Yes, I'm one of those Ag kids)

 

[Agkistrodon]

I agree that Champaign is probably less safe than Ames but it's the thought of a weirdo possibly stalking and/or abducting young men added with the missing student that is really making people feel unsafe.

Also, I have been robbed at knife point in CR and last August got sucker struck with a blunt object to my face in Ames, when I wasn't even involved in the situation. My jaw was broken and my buddy who saw it happen from a distance said he thought the object resembled a gun, but wasn't 100%. I'll admit I could have avoided that situation, I went up to one of the troublemakers and tried to help the situation by talking to him. (not knowing that a few of them had knives themselves...)

True, all I'm trying to get at is that the people insinuating that Ames has become significantly less safe as of late are overreacting. We have one kid, who may or may not have been abducted - we don't even know yet, and people are flipping out over it. Ames is still a very safe community, and I would not feel any less safe walking around the campus area at night than I did when I was an undergrad there 5 years ago.

Also, I'm certainly not going to say that the student reporting this suspicious person was lying, but when we have rumors flying about of abductions, then suddenly people start to overreact and human behavior that on any other day might seem slightly abnormal is more likely to be considered strange. Sometimes these stories get exaggerated as they get passed from one person to another.

 

[RyCy04]

This is why I rarely went to class.

 

[dtclones]

True, all I'm trying to get at is that the people saying they no longer feel safe in Ames are overreacting. We have one kid, who may or may not have been abducted - we don't even know yet, and people are flipping out over it. Ames is still a very safe community, and I would not feel any less safe walking around the campus area at night than I did when I was an undergrad there 5 years ago.

Also, I'm certainly not going to say that the student reporting this suspicious person was lying, but when we have rumors flying about of abductions, then suddenly people start to overreact and human behavior that on any other day might seem slightly abnormal is more likely to be considered strange. Sometimes these stories get exaggerated as they get passed from one person to another.

I don't think people in general are overreacting at all. Ames isn't a dangerous town by any means, but there is some strange stuff going on right now.

 

[06_CY]

I can't remember one time in my 5 1/2 years at ISU that I ever had trouble or thought there may be someone following me on campus at night. The only thing I was worried about was the damn birds by Carver/Music Hall. Keys, knife, 9mm; they are all good things to carry.

 

[maizenblue]

any votes for CCWs on campus?

I

 

[Cyched]

Remember you can always carry a knive under 6" on campus. I did at ISU and do where I'm getting my PhD. (Yes, I'm one of those Ag kids)

So my pocketknife is ok?

 

[ISUAgronomist]

So my pocketknife is ok?

Yes but my number was wrong (its actually shorter than 5"):
Firearms and Other Weapons : Policy Library

Weapons include any pistol, revolver, shotgun, machine gun, rifle or other firearm, BB or pellet gun, Taser or stun gun, bomb, grenade, mine or other explosive or incendiary device, ammunition, archery equipment, dagger, stiletto, switchblade knife, or knife having a blade exceeding five inches in length. Residents of university housing may possess knives having a blade exceeding five inches for cooking purposes (681 IAC §13.14(5).

 

[jsmith86]

Wait. So they thought this email was only relevant to ME students? So the rest of the student body has nothing to worry about?

ChemE's got it too, probably before ME's. But then again, it was a TA from our department.

 

[06_CY]

Yes but my number was wrong (its actually shorter than 5"):
Firearms and Other Weapons : Policy Library

Weapons include any pistol, revolver, shotgun, machine gun, rifle or other firearm, BB or pellet gun, Taser or stun gun, bomb, grenade, mine or other explosive or incendiary device, ammunition, archery equipment, dagger, stiletto, switchblade knife, or knife having a blade exceeding five inches in length. Residents of university housing may possess knives having a blade exceeding five inches for cooking purposes (681 IAC §13.14(5).

No mention of paintball gun. Glad I never got caught with mine in towers. :smile:

 

[CyForPresident]

Well the ag kids usually are wearing their **** kickers and sporting a nice pocket knife. The ME kids are easy tagets with their graphing calculators and whatnot.

Abductor: "Your coming with me to my basement!"
Ag kid: "How 'bout I kick your ***"
:biglaugh:

 

[ianoconnor]

No mention of paintball gun. Glad I never got caught with mine in towers. :smile:

LOL, welcome to my world. I was the president of the paintball club. I always told the guys to just be smart with them and not to clean them with their doors open in the dorms. I was also a CA, and kept my paintball gear in my room the whole time. People who are passionate about paintball aren't the problem. It's idiots who have some piece of crap gun laying around and think it's funny to shoot stuff up that give us real players a bad name.

I'm glad we never ran into any problems. The university and GSB in particular have been pretty good to us.

 

[Ms3r4ISU]

Call me anal, but when I had to walk home in the dark by myself on campus I always had keys in hand.

I still do that, all the time. Keys between your fingers and make sure the business ends are pointing out.

 

[sodakjoe]

Wow, all these stories really surprise me. I've been here for six years and I've never given a second thought to walking campus by myself at night. Then again, I'm a fairly husky guy, so I probably don't look like an easy target, but wow.

 

[isufbcurt]

Wow, all these stories really surprise me. I've been here for six years and I've never given a second thought to walking campus by myself at night. Then again, I'm a fairly husky guy, so I probably don't look like an easy target, but wow.

Unfortunately thats my problem, I am pretty good built so these weirdos wouldn't mess with me, but just once I wish they would so I could teach them a lesson

 

[Dormeezy]

I think people are overreacting a little bit here.

 

[twojman]

The letter kind of sounds like an urban legend thing. Is there actual proof this email was sent from the university?