It was the whooping and hollering that first made her get up from her desk and look outside. Whooping and hollering at 2 a.m. on a college campus generally indicate that something nefarious is going on, or at least something that merits investigation by a Responsible Person.

On this early October night, that Responsible Person was Ashleigh Strange, a resident assistant in UAF's Cutler Apartment Complex on the Fairbanks campus. One of three RAs at Cutler, she was on duty that night, so it was she who opened her office door in time to behold several individuals who had freed themselves of even the most rudimentary of garments and were racing through the complex's courtyard and down the hill.

Strange is a professional. She's a student, true, but three years of working with fellow students as a peer advisor has taught her many things, including the fact that public nudity is not acceptable, nor does it comply with university policy. She had to go after them, stop them and tell them to put their clothes back on.

As she chased the garment-less group, it occurred to her: What will I do if I catch them? She knew how to deal with violent intruders. She didn't tolerate underage drinking and had learned to write an incident report, but how to apprehend streakers was not part of her training.

She didn't quite know what to do with a bunch of naked people. "They were all standing under one street lamp, and I was standing under another street lamp. Then they all just took off running again. Fortunately, I couldn't really see anything," she says, laughing. "They were too far away for me to catch them, and I just thought, 'Whew, won't have to deal with that!'" She laughs again.

To be perfectly clear, Ashleigh Strange does not shirk her duties. (And really, who wouldn't have been relieved?) She is the consummate professional, although she's really "just" a student, a journalism major, and all of 21 years old.

Continued: 1 | 2 | 3

Comment on this story

April 29, 2010 4:00 AM

What a beautiful woman Ash has grown up to be! I'm so proud of you love.

April 13, 2010 12:42 PM

God made one amazing, unique young lady!  She's not waiting for her future to share her gift of service and creativity.  She's doing it NOW!    

April 5, 2010 2:40 PM

Ash broke her arm playing horsie at age four when she fell off my back. In the ER she had her fracture set without anesthesia and didn't utter a sound, just bit her lip. "A tough cookie," the osteologist said. He didn't know how right he was!

April 2, 2010 1:14 PM

So true of Ashleigh! Though one can't really experience Ash until they meet her :)