Student fears about assault prompt UA resolution

and Laura McClure After two years of falling crime and major security initiatives -- and despite the occasional high-profile shooting or assault -- many students have begun to again feel safe walking through campus and studying in Penn buildings late at night. But last weekend that feeling was shattered when a female sophomore was reportedly attacked by a man with a knife inside a basement bathroom of Steinberg-Dietrich Hall, a centrally located building that is open 24 hours a day for any Penn student who wants a quiet place to study. Wharton sophomore Anne Doty -- who described herself as a close friend of the victim -- said hearing the victim's own account of the assault has left her fearful. "I feel very unsafe at night, particularly at Steiny-D because I have vivid recollections of the incident as [the victim] described it," Doty said. Leaders of the Undergraduate Assembly, which passed a resolution Wednesday calling on officials to implement five specific steps to improve building security, met yesterday with several top Penn officials to discuss students' concerns. Police announced yesterday that they arrested a juvenile in connection with the assault. He will be charged with aggravated assault and other related charges, according to Penn Det. Commander Tom King. Because of the suspect's juvenile status, King would not reveal elaborate. The victim was attacked just before 3 a.m. on Sunday morning by a knife-wielding man in a basement bathroom of Steinberg-Dietrich, one of the few non-residences that are open around the clock. The victim, who has so far declined to comment, left Penn on Wednesday to recuperate at her home, according to a friend. People close to the victim have raised two major security concerns: The first panic alarm she pushed during the attack didn't work, and the security guards did not respond to it immediately. Those allegations have been widely circulated over e-mail listservs. Police don't dispute the first charge, though they say that all the alarms were tested on Monday and all worked. They have said that a security guard responded to the alarm as soon as he heard it. Yesterday's meeting between administrators and UA members was attended by Penn Executive Vice President John Fry, Vice President for Public Safety Tom Seamon, University Police Chief Maureen Rush, UA Chairperson Bill Conway and several other UA members. It came the day after the student government group approved a resolution Conway described as "a pledge to the student body that we will not let the administration get complacent." The meeting focused on two main concerns, according to people who were there: the quality of security guards and the lack of options available for students who want to study late at night outside of their residences. Rush said she planned to work with the students to address those issues. "We couldn't agree with them more," Rush said. The resolution approved by the UA was critical of the Division of Public Safety, saying that the "response time from when the victim pressed the alarm was unacceptable," and that students "now don't even feel safe inside 'fully secure' University buildings in the heart of campus." The possibility that there was no immediate response to the alarm has left many students questioning the ability of the SpectaGuards to provide adequate security. "It makes me have less faith in them," Wharton senior Kathryn Kerr said. Wharton Undergraduate Dean Richard Herring said that Wharton and Public Safety officials are looking for ways to make the building safer. "We're reviewing all of our security procedures," he said. "It's essential that the building be a safe haven." One possibility, he said, is requiring students to wear some kind of badge during off-peak hours so other students and security guards know who is supposed to be there. Conway said he supports such a move, adding that students need to be more vigilant in protecting themselves. "We need to generally raise safety awareness on Penn's campus," the Wharton junior said. "I think that's an issue that hasn't been addressed." Daily Pennsylvanian staff writer Erin Johnson contributed to this article.

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