A dive into students’ encounters and next steps
This semester, pedestrian harassment along College Ave. and downtown Houghton has become a growing concern. Michigan Tech students have complained about safety while walking. These forms of harassment include verbal assaults, threats, and slurs; there have even been physical threats, such as being followed or being hit by objects. This harassment toward students is not limited to one person or group, as it happens to multiple people throughout the day.
An anonymous student spoke about their experience this semester. They said, “One time I was [behind] McNair, and a car full of guys came by, and they started throwing Twinkies at me. The food object.” Speaking about a separate incident, they said, “On the road that goes past the Forestry building over by the parking lots, they barked at me.” They clarified, “The Twinkies was at night…[the barking was] in broad daylight.” This student felt upset after these incidents, stating it left an impact on their day.
Cases of harassment have been reported to Public Safety this semester already. Reid DeVoge, Deputy Chief of Public Safety, says “every semester we get a report or two of this kind of thing occurring… on average we get two or three reported directly to us” clarifying, “I don’t have the stats on what gets reported to Houghton, Hancock, or other areas.” With the perpetrators ranging from local teenagers to Michigan Tech students themselves, it’s hard to pinpoint a specific target group. When asked if any of them had reported anything to Public Safety, the majority of students answered no.
A different student spoke anonymously about their own incidents; they explained, “[Sep. 17] about nine o’clock, me and two friends were walking down College Ave.…by MacInnes Dr. and this car drove by and threw two full Burger King [drink] cups, ice still in there.” They stated, “I got hit square in the back with both [cups]. One of my other friends got hit with the backsplash in her face.” They felt frustrated because they know this has been happening to others as well.
A third anonymous student was also willing to share what happened to them. They explained that “the arch on [the] far side… coming into campus [near College Ave] I just passed it and then some guys in an American flag truck drove past and they’re like ‘are you lost little lady?’ and it was dark.” They go on to explain, “ever since, I’ve been asked to be driven to my destination on that side of campus instead.”
When asked why any of this is happening, DeVoge stated, “[They’re] try[ing] to be funny, or to get a reaction [out] of people… For other times it may be targeted because they know the specific person… to again scare them or get them riled up.” DeVoge wants to make it known that “no matter the perpetrators intentions, the impact on students is not funny in any way. Their actions can make students feel hurt, scared, intimidated, and unsafe. [This] is why nothing is too small to report.” Public Safety is hoping to make College Ave. feel safer for MTU students by “encouraging students if this happens to report it immediately…. get a good vehicle description, license plate, direction of travel, how many people are inside the vehicle,” stated DeVoge. “Be aware of a vehicle if it’s approaching in a suspicious way… try to find a way to get as far away from the streets as possible to a safe location.” When asked how students can help each other, DeVoge stressed, “Report it to Public Safety, even if you don’t think it’s something major. The more information we have, the more we can use to establish patterns.”
Public Safety is available twenty-four hours a day via emergency phones located around campus, by calling 906-487-2216, or texting 906-421-4911. You can also call 911 to receive dispatched help right away. For more information on what to do in case of an emergency or fear for safety, visit mtu.edu/publicsafety/.
