Residents say the incident raises security concerns.

It didn't take long for word about an alleged assault to spread through the Quadrangle this weekend.

Early Saturday morning, a man reportedly gained unauthorized access to the dormitory, where, according to police, he entered a female student's room and attempted to sexually assault her. Jacob Leslie Dallas, a 30-year-old male, was arrested in connection with the incident.

Most students reported that they had heard about the incident by Saturday evening, although many admitted they were unsure of the details.

Many Quad residents also said they were horrified by the incident.

"It surprised me that something like that could happen at all, especially in an area that's always full of people," College sophomore Sarah Johnstone said.

College freshman Erica Gordon also said the incident shocked her.

"I've always felt safe here," she said.

However, after more consideration, many students said they were not surprised that someone had been able to sneak into the Quad. They said that although SpectaGuards are usually strict about checking PennCards during the day, they are often more lax late at night.

College freshman Debbie Chiou said she had seen a SpectaGuard sleeping while on duty this fall.

Wharton sophomore David Yang questioned the effectiveness of the security devices in the Quad.

"Isn't it sort of shady that the thing they swipe the card with is always broken?" Yang asked.

Yang also said that he was not surprised an intruder was able to pass through the gate without being questioned.

"I'm not surprised," Yang said. "I sneak in on a daily basis."

According to the Quad resident, packs of students often crowd through the Upper Quad gate late at night on weekends. Yang said it would not be hard for a visitor to walk through virtually unnoticed.

"We used to always do that until last night when the security guard stopped us," Yang said.

Yang wasn't the only one to notice increased security in the Quad over the weekend.

Students reported the installation of a new Upper Quad gate and more guards on duty.

Engineering freshman Sagar Patel said that the stepped-up security measures that have been put in place following the incident were an inconvenience.

"There's mad long lines to get in now," Patel said. "It sucks."

But the general consensus was that students appreciated the effort. They were skeptical about just how long the effort would last, however.

"It'll step up until the issue blows over," Engineering senior Julia Lee said.

Johnstone agreed that the new measures would probably be short-lived.

"It'll get stepped up for a week or two, and then it'll go back to the way it was before," she said.

However, students maintained that the incident raised serious questions about Quad security.

"It makes me feel less safe," said College freshman Stephanie Hernandez.

She added that the incident would make her think twice before wandering the Quad hallways alone late at night.

However, despite the seriousness of the incident, many students doubted that they would make any drastic changes themselves.

For the most part, students said life would carry on as normal. Many said it would just be too hard to actually prevent anything from happening in the future.

"You're not really safe anywhere," Lee said.

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