"Mine's pink!" I giggled loudly to my friends, about a week before move-in day. We all swapped stories: where we bought it, when it would expire, where we planned to carry it, when we planned to carry it...

Look around any college campus, mine included, and you can see pepper spray. It's hanging from girls' key chains and purses as if it's a trend, a fad, and certainly not as if it's a self-defense mechanism. It's treated as a college essential. That's the section of the store where we all found it.

Last semester, I had a class that let out after dark. I used to call my mom as I walked the thirty minutes back to my dorm. She would always ask, "Are you carrying your pepper spray?"

And of course, I was. I carried the pepper spray in the palm of my left hand, finger over the trigger, and my room key pointed out, between my middle two fingers.

Up until about a week ago, I had never really felt unsafe on my campus. And then, I began hearing of a man who was following girls back to their residence halls from Franklin Street. I'd heard about this sort of thing on other campuses, but, of course, I was far removed from that. I had no need to worry.

I definitely advocate safety, and being prepared. I think that all college students should learn self-defense and carry pepper spray. The reality is that a campus can be a vulnerable place, and we need to be aware of that.

It is certainly true that the anatomy of a girl simply makes her more vulnerable to attacks. That does not, however, justify a culture in which only females are on high alert, or a culture in which it is simply assumed that they will be less able to defend themselves. Everyone, male or female, must be aware of their surroundings; we need to take precautions during the day and at night.

All of that being said, in addition to encouraging students to carry pepper spray, we as a society need to encourage that everyone, male or female, is held accountable for their actions. Six months in prison is not a reasonable sentence for the assault of an unconscious woman. And, locally, the fact that one man, who has not yet been caught, is able to evoke fear in people who previously felt safe is simply unacceptable.

All I'm trying to say here is that no matter your gender, you can increase the safety of the night simply by holding people accountable. Accountable for what they say, do, and support. Accountability, ultimately, is the only thing that can truly effect change.