Clown epidemic

By Victoria Carra

All around the county there have been people dressing up as clowns and scaring people of all ages.

Some say that the clowns are harmless and that it’s all just a funny joke, while others have reported that there have been incidences of clowns carrying weapons and trying to lure children away from their families and into wooded areas.

The media believes this trend started in Florida with a group that was actually trying to harm citizens in their area. Today, it has become a less serious situation, with most believing that the copiers in their area are harmless and just trying to pull a prank.

There have been many social media accounts created to help keep people informed by letting their followers report “clown sightings” to them so they can spread the word. Recently, a twitter page called ‘Clown Sightings Iowa’  made a post saying, “7:15pm Clear Lake, IA two clowns by the lake walking around with baseball bats! Be safe!”

It has also been reported that a clown was in Forest City in the town’s state park, Pilot Knob. There have also been accounts of kids dressing as clowns around the local high school as well. None have these accounts have involved violence or have resulted in arrests.

As Halloween draws closer, students on campus, like Danielle Waite, fear that their fellow classmates will find it funny to try out this new prank, “I have always walked alone on campus, never worried about people being dangerous, and now that is all I think about.” Although there have been no sightings on campus, most fear it is just a matter of time.

The best ways to stay safe this Halloween are to try not to walk alone at night, and if it is unstoppable, either call someone to talk to while walking or to have a way to protect yourself. The local Shopko does sell pepper spray to help students feel safe in case of an emergency. You can also call campus security and ask for an escort if you feel unsafe. Campus Security can be reached 24/7 at (641) 585-8500