Hello,
I think people should know what they are getting into.
I would review the following sites
http://maroon.uchicago.edu/news/articles/2005/09/30/spate_of_shootings_s.php
https://listhost.uchicago.edu/mailman/listinfo/safety-awareness
http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/05/051115.fires.shtml
http://commonsense.uchicago.edu/crime-info.html
First semester is very very hard. You will study 24/7 and easily 40% of the class will fail exams. These will be retaken over break or the summer. You will not have time for sleep, cleaning, or whatever you might like to do.
I suggest reading and studying like wild this summer. Also ask some first year for class notes and exams. Take a physiology and biochemistry class ASAP. Both of these classes use old exams.
Best of luck,
A Professor
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Get a map to figure out where these are (and don't live there)
[holiday spirit is back]
Four car jackings occurred on Monday, December 12, within Hyde Park-South Kenwood. In each instance, two men appeared suddenly to a lone victim, displayed a handgun, demanded the victim's valuables, and ended up taking the victim's car as well. The victims were not harmed. At this time, descriptions of the assailants are insufficient to provide details. It is likely that in at least two of these incidents, the same offenders were responsible.
[seems the offender is an officer at the hospital, though seems this is being kept quiet ... drugs?]
At 2:51 a.m., Saturday, Dec. 3, in an alley near Kimbark Avenue between 57th and 58th Streets, three women were walking when they were confronted by a woman who began hitting one woman of the group in the head with a black object. The offender continued to strike this woman even after she fell to the ground. She also struck the other two women when they came to the aid of the first. The offender grabbed the purse of the first victim, and fled to a nearby car. Police were called quickly with information about the offender and her car. Within a short time the offender was stopped by police, detained, identified and arrested. The victims were taken to the hospital. The first victim was admitted for treatment and later released, and the other two were treated and released.
[yay!]
Police have now arrested a total of three individuals in the pattern of sixteen armed robberies which was the subject of Safety Awareness Alerts on September 28, October 21, and October 28. As a result, charges have been filed in many of these incidents. No additional incidents that fit this pattern have occurred since October 29.
Police have announced the arrests of two related suspects in the pattern of sixteen armed robberies which has been the subject of Safety Awareness Alerts on September 28, October 21, and October 28. Charges have now been filed in many of these incidents, although other suspects are still being sought. This series of crimes began on September 12 and continued through October 29. There have been no additional incidents in this pattern since October 29.
At 8:43 p.m., Saturday, October 29, near 58th Street and Woodlawn Avenue, a man was approached from behind by a man who placed a gun to the victims head and demanded and took his valuables. The offender then struck the victim in the head with the butt of the gun when the victim asked for the return of his identification cards. The offender then fled. The victim was not hospitalized. Police believe that this attack may be related to the series of armed robberies previously reported this fall. Police patrols have been increased as a result.
Police report two more armed robberies, these on Thursday evening, October 27, that are part of the pattern of armed robberies which has been the subject of two recent Safety Awareness Alerts. The same man is likely involved in this pattern. Unfortunately, the victims' descriptions of him are not distinctive enough to help others trying to distinguish the offender from pedestrians in the area.
At 7:25 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, on Kimbark Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, a woman was walking when a man came up from behind and grabbed her. He put a gun to her head, took her bag and IPod, and fled.
At 8:05 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 27, on Greenwood Avenue between 57th and 58th Streets (Hutchinson Quad area), a woman and a man who were walking together were confronted by an armed man. He put a gun to the woman's head, demanded and took her purse, and fled.
At 4:40 p.m., Monday, Oct. 17, on Kenwood Avenue between Hyde Park Blvd. and 52nd Street, a woman was confronted as she was entering her apartment by an armed man who forced her into the apartment and sexually assaulted her. The woman fought her assailant, injuring him, and her shouts as the assailant fled were heard by others. One of those chased, captured and held the offender for police.
At 7:11 p.m., Wednesday, October 5, on Cottage Grove Avenue between 61st and 62nd Streets, a man talking with companions was wounded by one of several gun shots fired by unknown assailants.
At 10:20 p.m., Wednesday, October 5, near 63rd and Greenwood, a man sitting at a bus stop was wounded by one of several gun shots fired by an unknown man driving a gray Chevy Caprice. He was later treated and released from the hospital.
Between 9 p.m. and approximately 11:00 p.m. on six occasions between Monday, September 12, and Monday, September 26, in an area bounded by Hyde Park Blvd. (51st Street) on the north, 57th Street on the south, Drexel Avenue on the west, and Harper Avenue on the east, a man armed with a handgun has confronted and taken property from individuals or couples as they walked. Police believe that it is likely that the same offender is involved in all these incidents, and are investigating.
On Monday, September 12, at 10:40 p.m. on East 56th Street between Woodlawn and Kimbark Avenues, and at 11:05 p.m., and 11:08 p.m. on Kenwood Avenue between Hyde Park Blvd. and 52nd Street, men were confronted individually, or as a pair in the second incident, by another man who displayed a large blue steel handgun and demanded their valuables. In the latter two incidents, it is known that the same offender was involved, and police believe it likely that this offender also was involved in the first incident. No one was hurt in these encounters, but cash, ID and credit cards were taken in the latter two incidents. Police are investigating.
At 10:30 a.m., Friday, September 9, on Dorchester Avenue between 49th and 50th Streets, a woman was forced at knife point into a 1993 dark colored Chevrolet and taken to a nearby parking lot where she was sexually assaulted in the car by a man. She was able to flee from the car and alert a passerby. She was treated and released from a hospital. Police are investigating.
I really fell in love with the school and area when I visited and can hardly wait to find an apartment or move up to Chi-town! Any other potential Chicago matriculants out there? I look forward to meeting you guys in the next few months! Best of luck with finishing up school or with whatever else you might be doing in the meantime.
Also, do you feel safe on campus? The area looked fine to me when I visted, and I went out and walked around for a couple of hours on my own while I was there. But I read in one of the residents' forums that some people had concerns about crime in the Hyde Park area. I'd be especially interested in thoughts about this from anyone there who is a single woman. One final question: is it fiscally realistic to be able to buy a condo or townhouse in close proximity to campus? (I'd prefer not to have to drive to school every day.) Do most students have cars and drive to school, or is it realistic to walk or take public transportation? Thanks in advance for your help!
