Painted faces, big red noses and mismatched clothing.
What was once used to make children laugh at birthday parties and the circus is now striking terror across the country. It has also given new meaning to coulrophobia, the irrational fear of clowns, from which many people around the U.S. suffer.
While the fear of clowns is not uncommon, a recent wave of reported clown activity has swept college campuses, including Springfield College in Massachusetts, the University of Iowa, the University of Miami and Auburn University.
Blackburn has had several drawings of clowns on its sidewalks, which is perfectly legal until the drawings become threatening or offensive. However, according to campus safety and security crewhead Alex McAuley, there have been no physical reports of clowns on campus.
If a student does not feel comfortable walking alone at night, he or she can take advantage of Blackburn’s campus escort service. Any student can be escorted by campus security to wherever they need to go by calling the campus security office. Other options include traveling in groups and simply walking away from any suspicious individuals in order to prevent interaction. Students should report any suspicious individuals to campus security via calling the security office or through their Resident Assistant.
The issue with reporting clowns lies in the legality of their actions. According to Director of Campus Safety Morrie Fraser, it is perfectly within the rights of an individual to dress as a clown “until they are doing something in a threatening manner.”
“When my aunt was little, a clown broke into her house, so I’ve grown up with a healthy dose of fear instilled in me towards clowns,” said freshman communications major Grace Allen. Allen described the trend as a “cry for attention” by those who heard about the original reports.
Reported sightings and video evidence have been posted on various social media websites in recent weeks due to copycat pranksters. The craze began after reports came in from Greenville, South Carolina, of clowns lurking in the woods – and the story spread like wildfire. The Northeast is the epicenter of sightings, with the numbers dwindling in states that are further away from the East Coast.
A majority of these sightings occur when people are driving down a backroad during the night and spot something further down the road. They slow down to figure out what is going on and then they see that it is someone dressed as a clown and standing either in the middle of the road or right beside it. In some videos, the driver has gotten out of the vehicle to confront the clown, resulting in the clown running towards them in an attempt at intimidation.
Other encounters include people walking near woods and seeing a brightly colored object, only to later discover that it is a clown when it starts chasing them through the trees. So far these sightings have remained nonviolent with the clowns scaring those they can and quickly disappearing.