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A female student was assaulted in her Harnwell College House dormitory room early Sunday morning. [Elizabeth Gay/The Daily Pennsylvanian]

The consensus among students appears to be that an assailant from within is scarier than a robber from the outside.

After an assault in Harnwell College House, which Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said was "absolutely" perpetrated by someone with access to the building, students around campus are feeling nervous.

At approximately 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, a female student awoke to a male "fondling her," according to University Police. She then chased him out of her room, but lost him. Investigation into the incident is ongoing, but no one is currently in custody in connection with the assault, Chief of Police Thomas Rambo said.

This is the second assault since the beginning of the semester believed to be committed by someone allowed into one of the college houses.

"It's just made me very cautious," said College sophomore and Harnwell College House resident Chelsea Tanimura, who explained that she and her roommates were very upset by news of the assault. "That it could be anyone -- it's not just some random person coming into the dorms. I wouldn't have thought Penn students could be the perpetrators of these crimes."

Andrine Wilson, also a College sophomore, agreed that knowing the perpetrator was in some way affiliated with the University made the attack all the more nerve-wracking.

"It's definitely really scary that someone came in and was able to do that and got away," she said. "And that they think it's a resident -- that's even scarier."

Most students say that they were generally conscious of safety procedures before the incident occurred.

"Seeing as how I always lock my door, there's no chance this will make it more likely for me to lock it," joked College sophomore Eden Lin.

Still, many students explained that though they usually lock their doors, news of the assault has encouraged them to proceed with additional caution.

College sophomore Jake Chanin said that he usually locks his doors "except when I know I'm going to be there." Now he plans on securing his room even more carefully.

Chanin also has other ideas about how to protect himself.

"My dad told me to buy a Maglite -- you know, a long flashlight," he said. "To hit people with."

Wharton freshman Laura Holson feels like she is fairly on top of things. She thinks it's "a possibility" that something like this could happen to her, but she and her friends are "pretty careful about locking our doors and safety and stuff," she said.

Others do not feel that this incident has left them feeling any more personally threatened.

"I don't see why anyone would want to come into my room and fondle me, so...," Chanin said, dismissing the possibility that he could be the victim of an attack.

College sophomore Joseph Russo said he is just frustrated that security has been tightened after recent events around campus -- creating an inconvenience for students. He wishes that University security guards were "less anal about people who forget their PennCards," because he feels it just annoys students and college house employees, he said.

Russo added that he does not feel unsafe at Penn, despite recent reports of crime.

"I'm just not personally concerned," he said. "Maybe on 50th Street, but never on campus. On campus I've never felt unsafe."

For most, though, this most recent assault, coupled with the crime wave that has occurred around campus since the beginning of the year, has made for some sleepless nights.

"I'm from a small town in Connecticut," Holson said, explaining that even "just walking around alone" scares her and her friends.

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