It was the last day of finals of my first semester of freshman year, and I found myself trudging back to Larrabee after a five hour chemistry exam in Hale. Exhausted and in a less than delightful mood, I yearned to escape from the cold weather and jump into a hot relaxing shower. I made my way into my room on the fourth floor of Larrabee, an all-girls floor – but although relieved to finally be in the shower and done with finals, I was quite uneasy.
Over the last few weeks before finals, a Peeping Tom had been spotted twice in the fourth floor bathroom. The man attempted to spy on girls in the shower by looking underneath the stall doors.
He avoided capture both times by darting out of the bathroom and dorm when caught in the act. The incidents were reported to Campus Safety, but the administration never informed the student body, or even the fourth floor girls, of the situation.
I only knew of the incident because one of my roommates caught the man trying to peep on another girl. Therefore, I kept the curtain open enough so I could see the floor outside of the shower stall. I knew I was alone in the bathroom and there were few students left on our floor. About two minutes into my shower, mid-shampoo phase, I heard the bathroom door close.
That door, leading into the hallway, was always left open and I found it strange that someone would close it. I looked out of the gap in the curtain and saw a man’s bare feet standing in front of my shower door. I froze. I proceeded to watch as the man’s hairy arm rested itself on the floor as he tried to look at me. I was peeping at the Peeping Tom!
Scared and angry, I yelled at him and he ran towards the other shower stalls. I immediately put on a towel and bolted out of the shower, suds and all. I ran into the room of a student advisor on my floor. Barely able to force the words from my mouth, I told her that the Peeping Tom was in the bathroom. Two other girls were in the room with her; a fellow student advisor on the fourth floor of Larrabee, and a sophomore friend.
The four of us went outside the bathroom and realized that the man was still inside. Within seconds, the girls called campus safety and devised a plan to barricade the b—— in. We dragged a metal bed frame from the hallway and placed it over the door to prevent him from escaping. As we waited for Campus Safety to arrive, we stood guard, preparing for the man to break out of our blockade.
One student advisor found an ice scraper in her room and was ready for action.
Within a matter of minutes, Campus Safety arrived. They searched the bathroom and finally found the man hiding in a shower stall. They pulled the man out into the hallway. The man was a college-aged guy, wearing nothing but his boxers. How lovely. He glanced at the officers, the sophomore girls, the ice scraper, the soapy girl in the towel, and he was off!
Like a scene from COPS, the man hurdled himself down the back stairway with Campus Safety on his tail. We sprinted the other way, in hopes of catching him if he came from another direction. Fortunately, Campus Safety tackled the man on the stairs. We found him pinned to the ground with a leg on his neck to keep him down. Campus Safety called the police, who were on the scene quickly. After police handcuffed the man, I identified him and gave a statement about what happened.
At no point in the entirety of the incidents, from the first spying attempt to the man’s arrest, did any member of the administration attempt to inform or educate the student body about the circumstances. We have the right to know of any situation that could potentially have an impact on our safety. Some students on our floor weren’t even aware of the initial incidents. I was lucky in the fact that I knew about the man and looked out for him. The situation may have ended differently if I hadn’t known to watch out for him.
In response to a couple of disappointed emails, the administration stated that the student body was not informed because it was the end of finals week and few students were on campus. Regardless of whether or not there is one student left on campus, it is the responsibility of the administration to ensure our safety. I was outraged by the way in which they handled the situation.
As for Campus Safety, their quick response and diligence allowed the man to be caught and taken into custody. They did an outstanding job that night.
Perhaps what I am most frustrated about is the lack of praise for the sophomore girls who helped me that night. They deserve to be recognized for their intelligence, incredible courage and compassion. If the college will not thank them, then I certainly will.
Through the drama and chaos, I distinctly remember the last moment of that night. As the Peeping Tom was taken away by the New London Police, he asked if he could put on pants. The officer holding him turned, looked at him quizzically, and replied, “if you came without pants, you’re leaving without pants.” And off he went.
