Many college students recently returned to their temporary home in Gainesville, Florida for the new school year. As new students began to settle in and become familiar with the quaint college town area, something caused many to change their routes across campus. On August 30^th, a man attempted to sexually assault a young woman after the first gator game of the season against Idaho University. He punched the 21 year old in the face and proceeded to tear off some of her clothes. Due to inclement weather, the game was cancelled resulting in a large crowd of fans leaving UF’s Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. During the commotion, the man was able to escape the crowd and leave the premises unnoticed. Hours later, it is believed that the same man lurked in a forest that borders a commonly used sidewalk. At about 2 a.m., another young woman was pulled into a bushy area, but successfully escaped from the man and was able to call the UF Police Department. The Gainesville police department believes that the same man was responsible for these two attacks, and the two attacks following them. The suspect is described to be a 20-30 year old white male with brown hair, a stature of 6’5, and weighing roughly 250 pounds. This man has also been reported to be wearing normal gator attire alongside many others in Gainesville. The suspect has not yet been caught but UFPD is doing their best to catch the man that is causing fear and paranoia on campus.

When asking a student how protected they felt during this commotion, UF junior, Nick Chin replied, “Even though all this is going on I still feel safe because UFPD is very good. There are lots of volunteers helping to monitor the campus and keep everyone secure.”

Although many efforts are being made to keep students out of harm’s way, UF freshman Alex Chin stated, “I don’t feel safe walking around campus at night anymore. It’s pretty scary to hear about the attacks but we all just have to be careful and alert.”

In efforts to try to keep Gainesville residents safe, UFPD hired volunteers to assist students around campus. These volunteers can be seen wearing yellow traffic vests with UPD ID badges. They are also promoting the app Tapshield, which allows you to see real-time local crime reports in your area and send tips in to the local police. UFPD is also trying to reach students through social media, using the @UFPublicSafety account to inform students on twitter of any important information. The University of Florida student government president even made a speech supporting the “Gators Don’t Walk Alone” movement.

“I think that the student government president making a statement is something all the students needed to hear. The Gators Don’t Walk Alone Movement has put that extra feeling of safety and security we all wanted.” added UF junior Nick Chin.

Senior Christina Carraha is also taking many precautions to stay safe.

“I always walk with a friend at night if I’m out and I try to park close to the entrances of where I’m going. My sister and I also keep pepper spray with us in case anything ever happens. Hopefully, we’ll never have to use it and this man will be caught soon,” Christina said.

Although there are some critics of UFPD and their ability to catch this predator, they refuse to give up and constantly remind students that they are giving this investigation their all.

FSA Connection Questions

1. In your own words, summarize the article in one sentence.
2. What is the main idea?
3. How does the author support this main idea?
4. What is the connotation of the word “quaint” in this article?
5. How does the author portray this story with no bias?