Student Stories and Feedback: Aggieville, Part 1

In the past four years,  we have collected bits of writing, emails,
lengthy stories,   recorded narratives, 
     poetry  
written by students regarding
the meanness, violence, and sexual theft some humans are perpetrating on others;
For the next few days i will publish some that focus on safety in aggieville. 
I think it can be instructive and cathartic for many as well as providing data to the investigative.

Video of aggieville: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yHiS1uoIzOI&feature=related

Stories;
Student experience/ideas
about "the issue":    Part 1


I live on 10th and Moro, right next to Aggieville and every night I come
home from campus (usually on a bike but many times walking) very late
at night, usually at least midnight to anytime after that. I have
had SEVERAL instances where men have followed me very closely, from
Aggieville down the street near where I live. This area is full of
back alleys and it is completely dark. Every time I loose sight of
someone (I always keep an eye over my shoulder) I fear he has gone into
a back alley to follow me where I definitely would not be able to see
him. Every night I fear that I will be "ambushed" at my backdoor from
the dark void behind me. I am sure you are aware of the lighting
situation and will bring it up, but I have another suggestion as well.
When I went to New Mexico State, from the library at any time we could
call a little golf cart with two people on it that would take us to our
apartment or house if it was not too far (I don't know how far that
was) off campus. This would really help if Aggieville had one and
campus had one.

                                                Some will respond, "Stop coming home that late."

There are women over at the Women's Studies Dept., among others,

who have put forth the view that this response is a direct violation of

the concept of Equality in Education.

That is, if women, by virtue of their gender, are unable to stay after dark at the library or in the labs,

that describes a qualitatively and quantitatively Different educational experience.-kt

 I had some friends in town a few weeks ago; I met them for a drink at Tubby's. Turned out, the bouncer @ Tubby's that night was the same guy who drugged me and raped me two summers ago . At the time, he was bouncing at Rusty's, but he's now working at Tubby's....sick, sick, sick in SO many ways.

I am male, and I carry a knife with me if I go to Aggieville. I've seen it too often: guys drinking way too much looking for a fight. They want to fight me and do even worse to a girl. I'm from Kansas City, and in Westport, there are police EVERYWHERE. Anywhere you look, there are police. That's all you need. People in uniform to help prevent fights and rape.

I think you know about our (male) blind student who was beaten-up last April in the bathroom at Tubby's by 4 other men. I just wanted you to have that on your radar as well. The student died in August. I am still not convinced it didn't have something to do with the aneurysm he suffered during the attack (though he did have a brain injury and history of seizures). The official report was that he had an unattended seizure face-down on his bed and  suffocated in his bedding. I did report my concerns about the previous beating to the police after his death (the student did not report it when it happened, but was hospitalized for it...so there was at least that record).
Underage and overserving? Just look at any Greg G. bar. 

Some thoughts... -Police force: Sure they make their way through the bars and "hang out" on the corners of Moro, but they are not intimidating. There are specific times where I remember my friends and I thinking as the police walk through a bar, "oh ya lotta good that's gonna do." In my opinion, if I do not feel protected by the police presence, then why would someone with malicious intentions think twice.

Lighting: Aggieville is fine, but NOT so much as soon as you leave that bubble. I don't even like walking ONE block by myself after bar closing.

-Late night meets last call: Is THE WORST TIME IN AGGIEVILLE. I feel more aware and concerned than some of my friends. When I leave Aggieville, I see things that make me cringe. Groups of guys just hanging out hitting on drunk passersby, especially females. I am intimidated by these situations and have responded negatively (telling someone off) and I've had people get mad at me. It's just a sad insight into what Aggieville does to people. Guys now have the EXPECTATION that women will drop everything and go home with them just because we are out drinking and walk by.

I find myself questioning the motives of "the more sober dude taking her home."

My name is R and I'm in Business Management. I am going to write a letter to student senate asking for more funds for campus security, because I believe that there needs to be more security on campus night and day. With all of the rapes and other assaults that seem to be happening around Manhattan. It's scary being a
twenty year old female living in a different city than home, where crime and sexual assault seems to be a big problem.

I came to K-State two years ago from Colorado State, where I felt safe at all times. There was always security officers patrolling the campus at all times. Also, if I needed someone to walk me to my dorm or to my car there was two security officers that would come and walk me home. The officers were always a male and a female, so I wouldn't feel uncomfortable walking back with two males. I think that the policy at
CSU was a great one and like I said I always saw a security officer  walking around campus at all times. I think that there should be a change at K-State, a safe change at K-State.


I went out with a group of people on Halloween 2008. One girl in our group was under-age. One of the girls who was 21 in our group annoyed the bouncer until he just gave up and allowed the under-age girl to go
in. Not only was the under age girl able to get into Rusty's, but she got alcoholic drinks. I do no know if she bought them herself, or if she had someone else buy them for her.


I talked to someone I know who is a bartender in Aggieville. She said that you serve drinks to get good tips. She also said that many bar tenders do not think it is their responsibility to monitor how much
people drink--besides you get better tips when you give them drinks. A final thing she mentioned is that there is too much going on for her to monitor everyone, so even if she thought someone had too much, or was
drugged there would be nothing she could do since she has so many other things she has to do while at work. My thought about her comments is maybe bars could have more bartenders or bouncers there at a time, and make sure they know what to do.

A few guys I spoke with said that over the years they have been over served at various bars in Aggieville. They also said that they think stopping the crime in and surrounding Aggieville is pretty much
hopeless. They said the police don't care enough, and there aren't enough officers to watch everyone. One guy said that all the police care about is writing DUIs, not protecting people who are trying to
walk home.

PART II HERE