Students shocked and frightened by assault

On Sunday morning the perpetrator of the Fairchild Hall assault left not only the victim, but the entire Oberlin community, to recover from the tragedy.

"Quite a few people were traumatized," Interim Dean of Student Life and Services Deb McNish said. "It was really frightening."

The assault served as a wake-up call for many students. "I've never thought about locking my door at night," said junior Marla Shu. "We've locked ourselves out of our room we've been so diligent about keeping doors locked. This is no longer a safe campus."

College senior Alex Bumpers, a resident coordinator (RC) in Langston Hall, said, "A lot of Oberlin students get in their mind that Oberlin is a Utopia. Even in a safe haven like Oberlin you get a wake up call once in a while."

Fairchild Hall heard that call the loudest on Sunday morning. Residents of the dorm were called to an emergency meeting at 8 a.m. to learn of the attack.

Throughout the week residents have tried to regain their sense of security. "This dorm has a lot of first-years, and it has been stressful," said one Fairchild resident who wished to remain anonymous.

One stress was the media. In addition to the Cleveland media, the attack was covered on CNN and CBS, forcing hall residents to deal with intruding reporters. "People walking around taking pictures trying to figure out which window he entered was very obnoxious," said the anonymous Fairchild resident.

Comforting to the hall residents is the fact that the victim has made a strong recovery, and will return to school. The victim received support from her friends and teammates, who paid a visit to her in the hospital. Cross Country coach Tom Mulligan said, "I don't think there's any question the support she received from her teammates was very uplifting for her and also for her teammates."

McNish said the victim's parents were overwhelmed by the support their daughter received. She said students sent flowers and notes of support.

The College has been answering questions about the assault all week. McNish said she has received phone calls from deans of students from all over the country offering support.

Oberlin parents have also been calling. The President's office drafted a letter to go out to all parents today.

The letter describes precautions the College is taking to increase security, and asks parents to stress to their children the importance of locking their doors.

Staff of Student Life and Services held a meeting Thursday for interested students. Many of the students expressed concern for the victim, and confusion about what actually occurred.

The residents of Fairchild are still unsettled by the vulnerability of their residence hall. "Security made some suggestions as to what they wanted to do to make the building more secure, and not all of them have been implemented," said the anonymous Fairchild resident.

According to one resident, security proposed screening in the basement windows, where the perpetrator allegedly gained entry. To date some windows have not been screened in.

A door which had been problematic to close has been secured. Assistant Director of Residential Life Erai Adams said, "I have been told it would take a bomb to open that door."

The basement houses the Fairchild Co-op, which often opens the windows to vent hot air from the kitchen. The Co-op has been working with the dorm to improve security. Fairchild RC Senior Adam Franklin-Lyons said the Co-op keeps it "reasonably safe. It's their kitchen."

The responsibility for safety of dorms does not lie solely upon Campus Safety and Security. "The dorms are only as safe as people make them. They are safe as long as people are fastidious with keeping doors closed," said Dascomb RC and College sophomore Andy Karlson-Weber. Hall residents are expected to police themselves in certain areas.

With the recent assault many students are living in fear, worrying about walking home late at night, and contemplating the purchase of self-defense agents like mace. "We seem to have more crime than we deserve. We're going to have to come together and figure out what we need to do to protect ourselves," said McNish.

Most people would like to view the assault as an isolated incident. Regardless of the random nature of this serious crime students, staff, and faculty need to be aware of their surroundings. Director of Safety and Security Keith James said, "We are a microcosm of a larger society. We need to be aware there is a potential for crime anywhere."