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St. Cloud State University
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Attack spurs safety kick
By Nick Hanson
Published:
Thursday, February 6, 2003
SCSU student Dan Lehmkuhal thought his 21st birthday would be a joyous occasion.
But what started as a peaceful walk home from the bars ended in chaos when Lehmkuhal and his friends were jumped near Q-lot.
After initiating conversation with a car of people, the same car followed Lehmkuhal and his two friends for about 50 feet.
"They stopped, got out and came and hit me," he said. "I got punched in the face, and then kicked in the face a few times."
Lehmkuhal's friends were also hit while trying to protect him. They did not sustain any serious injuries.
Though they were intoxicated, Lehmkuhal maintains the trio did not provoke the car full of people in any way.
"They were just looking for someone to beat," he said.
The results of the encounter could have been drastically different if he would have been more educated on how to react, he said.
"After being attacked, I think a self defense class would be a great asset and thing to take," he said. "I'd say in the right hands, mace would be a good thing (too)."
Pepper spray or Mace can be purchased inexpensively nearly anywhere, from online to specialty shops for $10-20. If used correctly, mace, a non-lethal spray product, has the potential to stop attackers dead in their tracks.
Miles Heckendorn, director of Public Safety, said that Mace can be effective; however, if used improperly, has the potential to work against a person.
"The problem that I have with Mace is that it is something that could be taken away from you and used against you," he said.
Mace can offer a false sense of security, he said. It is only helpful to those that know how to use it.
"It's not something you use everyday," he said. "(For an untrained person) Mace can be like someone who doesn't check the batteries in a smoke detector."
Physical self-defense classes are another viable option people can add to their arsenal of protection.
Lee LaDue, coordinator of the Women's Center sexual assault services, said that self-defense can protect women.
"The more skills people have to pull upon or rely upon, the better they can defend themselves," she said. "You have all of these choices and options."
The Women's Center has, and plans to continue offering, classes called rape aggression defense (RAD).
Classes are nine hour seminars designed to teach some self-defense techniques. LaDue said self-defense skills can work if executed properly. The next classes are tentatively scheduled for April.
As far as Mace goes, she said it could also be an effective tool against aggression as long as the user is educated.
"If you're going to buy it, practice with it and make sure it doesn't expire," she said.
"There are lots of different types of self-defense," she added. "People's best self-defense is education."
Other self-defenses include martial arts. Classes such as Tae Kwan Doe and Judo are offered at Eastman hall in the combatitive arts room several nights a week.
Tae Kwon Doe disciplinary, Igor Astriyk, said that his martial arts skills have given him confidence and the ability to protect himself.
"Tae Kwon Doe has helped me out a lot," he said. "I know that I can protect myself if I need to."
On-campus security tries to play a large role in assault prevention so students don't have to use self-defense.
"Public safety either directly or indirectly responds to every call," Heckendorn said.
For optimum protection, PSD provides a well-lit campus and a blue light emergency system.
In this system, phones located at blue light stations throughout campus are available for students in an emergency situation, such as assault. PSD immediately responds to calls.
"We knew there would be an increasing need for the blue light system," he said. "Right now we have a total of 29 blue light phones."
