I am concerned for the safety of the women living on this campus.

There are rules for every dorm that prohibit people of the opposite sex from walking around without a resident escort.

They also prohibit people of the opposite sex from being in the dorms between certain times of day.

These rules were established for a reason, but some people think they are above the system and don't have to follow them.

Well, newsflash -- you do.

My sister was in her dorm room last week when someone knocked on her door. She didn't think much about it and it probably never crossed her mind to ask who it was, so she just opened the door.

It turns out that it was an unescorted male doing a project for school. He just wanted to ask her a few questions.

He probably didn't think it was a big deal being in the dorms alone. He needed to do some research and was obviously able to get in the dorm without a problem; he was innocent. But, how does a female resident know that? What if he had other intentions than simply doing a school project?

My sister thought that same thing and was not at ease with a male roaming the halls by himself, so she called her RAs, but they were unavailable. She then proceeded to call the police.

I am proud of her for doing this; she did the right thing.

I have been in similar situations myself, but didn't have the same opportunity to do something about it.

Many times when I am leaving my dorm, a male is standing at the call box outside. I notice him there, but never let him in.

Well, some of these males are very impatient and can't wait for the girl they are calling to walk downstairs and get them.

I have seen men grab the door I just walked out of as it is about to close and then jump on the elevator to go to their friend's or girlfriend's room.

I never get a chance to say anything.

I'm sure these guys are harmless. They are students and are simply going to one of their friends or girlfriend's room. But what happens the one time it isn't someone harmless?

What happens if the next guy who jumps in the elevator alone is a rapist or has intentions of robbing someone? What if he has a gun? What happens then?

I hope we never have to find out.

I can't leave this university without expressing my concerns on this subject; I feel too strongly about it.

I urge all women living on campus to be cautious about letting males they do not know into the dorms.

With the winter season approaching, I often see men standing outside in the cold waiting for someone to come downstairs to let them in.

Some people feel sorry for these guys standing in the freezing cold, so they end up letting them in so they can wait by the elevators in the warm building.

It is so important that everyone remembers not to do this, especially if you don't know who the guy is.

Let him wait outside for the safety of yourself and everyone else in the dorm. He knows the rules and won't expect you to let him in.

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network Web site, 60 percent of college women who are raped are raped on campus in their own dormrooms.

Don't let Tech become another part of a statistic and do your part to keep the dorms free of risky situations that could result in violence.

The same goes for guys. Do your part to make women on campus feel at ease. If someone offers to let you into a dorm unescorted, say no and follow the rules by waiting outside.

When someone makes a choice to let an unidentified male into a female dorm, they make a choice to possibly put all the residents in danger.

Don't make that choice.

Remember the popular phrase, "It is better to be safe than sorry" because you will thank yourself for making the safe choice and not letting the guy in.

Nicole Broussard is a senior journalism major from Mandeville and serves as editor for The Tech Talk.