A fourth assault was reported late last week in connection with the string of three other assaults that occurred Oct. 30 through Nov. 1.

According to Jim Berscheidt, director of news and public affairs for the university, a female student recently came forward with information that she was attacked minutes before the Nov. 1 assaults were reported to have occurred. This assault took place outside Centennial Halls at 1:15 a.m. A student was racing her friend back to the dorm and they briefly separated during their race. At this point, a man matching the description of the three other assaults grabbed the student and sexually assaulted her. She eventually got away and ran into the building.

With the perpetrator of the recent rash of sexual assaults still at large, several students are taking action to protect themselves and to help prevent assaults from happening again.

Sororities on campus have contacted Campus Safety to establish better and more efficient communication between students and campus safety.

According to Morgan George, a member of Gamma Phi Beta is working with Campus Safety on behalf of her house, Campus Safety has visited the sorority houses to talk to members about their safety concerns.

George said Campus Safety will now send out e-mails to notify students and has set up a phone tree with the Interfraternity Council and Panhellenic Council that will trickle down to the presidents of the houses and members. Campus Safety will also notify resident assistants in residence halls to help get the word out to those living on campus.

George said Campus Safety has been “wonderful” with working with students, especially the sorority houses.

The Undergraduate Women’s Council has also taken action within the community in an effort to decrease crime around campus.

Heather Yocum, president of UWC, said the group would be canvassing along Asbury Avenue to petition for more street lights in the neighborhood in hopes that better lighting might reduce the number of assaults and other crimes such as car break-ins.

Yocum said she hoped more lights would “make it safer for women and everyone involved.”

Yocum, who lives near the locations where the assaults occurred, said she was “freaked out” by the assaults. She said she was also upset that women are still being targeted for sexual assaults and that it appears that it isn’t even safe for women to walk down the streets in groups. Yocum isn’t the only student frightened by the assaults.

“I feel very scared and very paranoid,” Charlie Klein said. “It’s a shock to me that he has the audacity to grab girls who are in groups.” Klein said she has felt particularly paranoid when walking late at night.

However, Klein isn’t sure how far she can go to protect herself on campus because she typically would walk late at night with a group of friends for protection.

“I’m going to be more aware of my surroundings and maybe get some mace,” she said.

AUSA President Max Goldberg also expressed his concern.

“I think that assaults are awful and I’m sorry that this had to happen on any campus, especially this one.” He added that he hoped “more students would become more aware of these unfortunate events.”

AUSA Vice-President Yusuf Malik said this was a time for students to come together and help each other out.

“I think everyone should keep an eye out, especially people who travel at night. I have great confidence that Campus Safety and the Denver police department are working to ameliorate this problem.”

DU is still offering $5,000 for information that leads to the arrest and conviction of a suspect in the assaults.

Don Enloe, director of Campus Safety, said both Campus Safety and the Denver Police Department have increased patrols on and around campus. He also stressed that students should be cautious; use the SafeRide shuttle between 6:30 p.m. and 2:30 a.m.; avoid walking alone; be mindful of their surroundings at all times; when walking in a group, be mindful of where everyone else is; and carry a cell phone at all times to call 911 or Campus Safety at 303.871.3000 in case of an emergency. Enloe also added that if someone thinks he or she is being followed, they should quickly go to a crowded, public place and call for help. Campus Safety also offers to escort anyone to and from an on-campus location. To request an escort, call x12334.

Berscheidt said he has not received any news from Denver police about an arrest. He added that it is unclear if there is any connection between the recent assaults and the assaults that occurred last spring, saying that the university officials are operating under the assumption that the cases are not related.

The first assault occurred at approximately 10:30 p.m. Oct. 30 when a man grabbed and sexually assaulted a 19-year-old undergraduate female student who was walking with two friends near Asbury Avenue and High Street. The friends yelled and called 911 for help and the stranger fled westbound down Asbury Avenue. The second assault was the recently reported attack outside Halls.

The next attack occurred Nov. 1 at approximately 1:30 a.m. A female student walking alone on the 2000 block of South University Boulevard and was grabbed and sexually assaulted by a man matching the description of the perpetrator of the first assault.

The final attack happened an hour later at the intersection of Asbury Avenue and Josephine Street. Again, a man matching the description of the suspect on the other two cases grabbed and sexually assaulted a student walking with another friend.

Tips may be reported to Campus Safety to Cpl. Raymond Juan at x12139 or Denver police Detective Larry Black at 720.913.6130.