A sense of unrest falls on campus as numerous incidents involving stalking and harassment cause women to question their safety on campus. As security tries to maintain a sense of stability and protection, students search for solutions to their issue.

Bob Mays Trail, located one mile north of Main Campus, is a spot that many QU students frequent. Whether to go on a walk, ride a bike, or enjoy nature, it is not an inherently dangerous spot.

This changed one day during the Fall 2024 semester as one female student found herself in an uncomfortable situation, being followed by a stranger for an unseemly amount of time. After deciding to run on Bob Mays Trail, Vivian Gaither noticed that a man on a bike had been following her for over a mile. When he finally passed her, she could relax. But only for a short while.

“When I rounded it [the corner], I saw him in the bushes. I was terrified so I turned around and ran to the main street and back to campus,” Gaither said.

After she had run the mile back to campus, the man reappeared. Tracking her along 20th St, it was clear this was no mistake or coincidence; he was following her.

“At the time, I was freaking out because why would he be in the bushes? What would have happened if I didn’t see him? That’s what freaked me out most probably. I have yet to be back at the park because I’m scared,” Gaither said.

Gaither stayed as far away as she could from the man and reported the incident to the security office. Head of security, Rob Copley, later sent an email out to the entire school regarding the situation.

Following this incident, numerous reports from other women seeing him linger around campus for the remainder of the day came into the security office. Copley now reports there have been zero sightings of him around campus as of late. But the unease has not gone away.

“We are aware of the concerns and we are making as much of a presence as we can. We involve the police in these situations as well so they can make a presence. Law enforcement knows that college campus’s need an extra eye,” Copley said.

Aside from this specific incidence, security disclosed that there had been a few situations involving women either being followed in their cars, or being approached by passing vehicles that made them uncomfortable over the course of the Fall 2024 semester.

These situations have caused women on campus to feel anxious and increasingly stressed about their surroundings.

“All the stories of people lurking around campus… men following girls running… I used to be fine walking back to my room in the dark but now I don’t feel safe or comfortable doing so,” Olivia Gilbertson, a sophomore, said.

This is not a new trend, women on campus have dealt with the same issues in years past.

“A roommate and I got followed by a man last year and he was yelling threats at us and screaming. Security said they couldn’t do anything because he was on the perimeter of campus,” Amelia Ham, a junior, said.

Despite these incidents, security has increased patrol on campus and the administration has advocated for women’s safety, even organizing a self-defense class for those who wanted to be proactive about their safety.

“This shouldn’t even be a problem, but we have to be vigilant. As good as it is to continue to teach women to defend themselves and be ready for anything, it’s sad that we have to do that in the first place,” Gaither said.

In a survey regarding women’s situation on campus, many students expressed different solutions to remedy their worries.

More than 40% of students stressed that more lights are needed on campus, specifically along 20th St, Oak St, and Chestnut St.

Alongside lights, having designated late-night escorts on campus could be another solution. Copley even expressed the possibility of this becoming a procedure among new security interns, where you could ask for an escort if you felt unsafe. The survey result showed that this would be something women on campus would feel comfortable using.

“I can tell you, from my experience in the police department, this is probably not an abnormal amount of instances. But it doesn’t matter if you’re the one it happened to, it doesn’t matter how many others there were. It comes down to how you feel because you were the one there. I definitely don’t want to minimize what they went through, that’s not what I’m trying to do. This is not an abnormal number, but it would be great if it was none,” Copley said.

These incidents prompt students to stay on high alert, and to be aware of their surroundings. Security officials say make sure you have QU Security’s number saved in your phone, and always call 911 in you are in danger.