Many of the classrooms at the University where I work open to the outside, and either don't have locks or have to be key-locked.

These are fire-doors though. Steel plates inside them. If proper locks are installed so that faculty/students can lock them from the inside, lives could be saved.

I watched a program early this morning that said with a stun gun you have to let the assailant get close, and if they are stronger, they can over power you. The same was true of pepper sprays. This program was selling a crazy kind of flashlight with a propelled pepper spray and a laser targetting device. The light was blinding, the laser allowed the victim to target the eyes of the attacker, and the pepper spray shot out 20 feet. I liked that.

At VT, the attacker chained doors closed. Can't do that where I work. None of the doors are built in that fashion, and even if they were, there are always alternate exits.

My Friend told me that if he was ever attacked at his high school he just prays the desk is stronger than the gun because "there aren't any windows in any of the classes to jump out of."

One security expert on TV pointed out that no one seemed to try to assault Cho. No one threw books or computers or anything to trip Cho up. They were willing to stand in his path and be shot at to protect others, but were taught not to tackle and attack.

So, what would you do to protect yourself where YOU work or attend school?