University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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. After studying in the silence of the Law Lihrary, Senior Amy Herman enters the darkened streets alone on her way home. Despite increasing late night reports of harrassment and assault, many students still felt safe walking by themselves. - Stephen Qoldstein HI-YA! Ed Shin delivers a vicious kick during a Tae Kwon Do training session. Some students enrolled in similar classes to hetter their defense skills. - Jimmy Basse Running was a popular sport around U of M, but as shadows fell on the city, most joggers, like Senior Lisa Staro, returned home. - Jimmy Basse Michigan Life 39

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16 IT SAFE IN THE (SHADOWS? ight life on U of M ' s campus traditionally ' s t a r t e d when the sun set on Thursday. Though, as darkness surrounded the city, those roaming the streets took the chance that their safety might be jeopardized. Lt. Vem Baisden, a supervisor of Campus Safety, said a large number of the 2,127 criminal cases reported in 1992 were alco- hol related, though it varied whether it was the assailant or the victim who was intoxi- cated. Baisden, who urged students to use common sense when drinking, also advised the party-hoppers to travel in groups. One South Quad Resident recalled, My friend was a little drunk, so she asked some people she had been hanging out with at the party to take her home. They brought her up to our room but then just hung out on the stairwell and wouldn ' t leave. We probably should have called security, but we locked our door instead. Fortunately the danger of the party-filled weekends was mitigated by several organiza- tions who were available to provide a friend to those who needed to walk home. Safewalk and Northwalk , student volunteer organiza- tions available to assist students to their dorms apartments, were established in 1 986 and escorted over 3,000 students each year. When called, a co-ed or all-female team of two accompanied a student within a 20- minute radius of the Diag or as far as Bursley if the student was on North Campus. Those who volunteered their services to Safewalk or Northwalk were required to complete numerous training sessions, which included a variety of videos and seminars, and to give consent for a criminal background check. According to co-Director Dr. Jim Sullivan, uni- versities across the country called inquiring about U of M ' s program including Michigan State, Ohio State, and the University of California at Berkeley. The Night Owl service, which ran every night from 8 p.m. to 3 a.m., provided another alterna- tive to tackling the streets alone. The mini-bus took students to over a dozen locations free of charge. Some Michigan students took an extra step in securing their safety by enrolling in one of the many self-defense classes at the University. First- year student John Goulding, who decided to try his hand at Tae Kwon Do, said he joined the class for self-defense reasons. I ' m a small person and I want to defend myself against bigger people. Goulding elaborated commenting, I think the classes ' activities will be very helpful should an instance arise when my safety might be threat- ened. So far, we ' ve learned how to escape a wrist hold and to knock a knife from an attacker ' s hand. We ' ve also worked on building strength and confidence. Though knowledge of martial arts reassured some students, Lt. Baisden stated that although in certain situations the use of these tactics is a viable means of defense, it ' s rarely practical or possible. Baisden recommended giv- ing a robber exactly what is wanted as quickly as possible to avoid provoking violence and the need to exercise physical defense. The University also provided 50 emergency phone locations across Central and North Cam- pus which were very helpful if any type of emergency situation ever arose. No dialing was necessary, and Campus Safety officers were dis- patched to the location immediately. Law enforcement officers stressed the best prevention of safety problems is avoiding situa- tions that lead to trouble all together. 38 Michigan Life

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Learning the basic moves and tactics to protect herself in a threatening situation, first-year student Ann Kolkman attacks a punching cushion. The Self Defense Workshop was offered for women only and required a five dollar donation. -- Jimmy Bosse Mpatanishi Tayari, a first-year student, participates in the self-defense training workshop. During the Sexual Assault Awareness Week (Oct. 24-29), guest speakers, counselors, and participants united for the common goal of stopping sexual assault. -- Jimmy Bosse 40 Michigan Life