Duke Students Remain Cautious After Two Reported Sexual Assaults

"You kind of hear people make comments every once and a while," student Tamara Gaskin said.

"Obviously, we want them to catch the guy or guys, whatever it takes," student Laura Dilly said.

One student was raped in the Edens Quad area. Another fondled in a Central Campus apartment. Since then, there have been campus talks by rape survivors. There have been cries of outrage from concerned students, and there have been stepped up patrols by campus police.

"We're having more concentrated patrols in areas where crimes occurred," said Maj. Phyllis Cooper, of the Duke Police Department.

What there has not been in either case is an arrest. That one fact has students watching each other's backs. Some male students said they are now a bit more protective of their female classmates.

"Especially at night, we don't let them go somewhere without a guy walking with them," student Chinedu Okpukpru said.

"This is your home basically and you should feel safe in your home and feel everyone is taking measures to make you are safe," Gaskin said.

Police do not think the two assaults are related. They are encouraged that there have not been any more incidents in the last two weeks.

On Friday, a

panel

addressed issues ranging from the campus' latest security measures, to whether the university is isolating itself from the rest of the community in the name of security.