Dear Editor:
One night I was walking down a wooded path and was approached by a very tall man. Instantly, I became alert and on the defense. I was scared and I'm sure he could tell. He told me he was going to walk me down the path and to my home, but I was very cautious. I refused his offer. Something was strange about him. Maybe it was because he had his hands in his pockets, or maybe it was because he was 6-foot-3 and I am 5-foot-1. I knew I wasn't safe with him walking with me that night. I told him that he needed to walk another way or I was going to go to the emergency phone and call for help. He started toward me quickly and I ran towards the emergency phone yelling. He ran the other way. I should have alerted the police, but I didn't. Instead, I'm telling you now.
In response to the May 5 letter about the wooded path asking why it's necessary to modify the path, here is your answer. There are no safeguarded methods for protecting us at night on the wooded paths, but we can take precautionary measures. I was on that same path you were referring to when I was stopped by that man. I feel much better knowing there are less trees for attackers to hide behind and so I applaud the efforts of the university to keep students safe. Take a look around and you can see there is a huge mountain behind us. There are plenty of places to retreat for your solitude and for animals to live in. Right now we need to worry about keeping us safe, as well as the animals. Besides, animals are probably more safe away from humans anyway.
Melody Chapman
Indianapolis