[aephi alum]

OMG... I'm glad to hear your friend is (relatively) ok, and I hope the cops catch the bastard.

I'm a city girl, and the attitude of "always be aware of your surroundings" has been thoroughly ingrained in me. Example: When I'm alone and getting into my car, I always have my keys in hand, I look under the car and in the back seat, and I get in and lock the doors immediately. You can never be too careful - it only takes a few seconds, and it could save your life.

When I was in school, I belonged to an organization whose members were mostly female (not my sorority). At one of our meetings, we had someone from the campus police come in and talk about personal safety. She specifically recommended against pepper spray or any other weapon, because it can be easily turned against you. A whistle is a good thing to have around, though, and the CPs gave them out every year to both male and female students - but it ain't gonna help if no one's around to hear it.