Still, Mathers says, "Nothing is impenetrable. We're at a state of reasonable security."

Beyond the Science Center and the escort services, there have been other new policies, says Morse. The lights in the Yard have been repaired and new lights have been added; the police have been working with house committees, speaking in the houses about campus security.

"The most viable thing that came out of [the rape] was self-help among the students," says Morse. "People utilized services they had underutilized before."

Those who are closely involved with women who struggle to come to terms with rape say its impact on a whole community often takes the form of such demands about security.

"In the wake of a rape, many women feel unsafe. They realize Cambridge isn't the safe little college town they thought," says Nadja B. Gould, a clinical worker and rape counselor at University Health Services.

She speaks of the community consciousness that is formed after a well-publicized rape, that demands corrective measures like improved security and education.

"We started to do that here with [the escort service] SafeStreets, and by paying attention to some important groups like [the sexual concerns hotline] Response," Gould says. "Being proactive is one way for the community to heal itself."

An Immediate Response

The immediate, angry response of the rally was another.

The rally, says RUS Secretary Annabella C. Pitkin '90, was a strong way to quiet the community fears. Pitkin, who co-founded the Women's Alliance, an umbrella organization that addresses gender issues on campus, says today that the rally's purpose was three-fold: to demonstrate solidarity with the survivor; to give women an outlet for their fears; and to "reclaim" the Science Center.

"[We wanted to] say, "This space is ours and we have a right to be safe here,'" Pitkin says.

Holly R. Zellweger '90, co-president of RUS, says she thought the rape was such a strong rallying point because it took place in the middle of the day, and was so well-publicized.

"It was very obvious that the woman wasn't quote, 'asking for it,' and the man had a criminal record, and the wasn't a Harvard student--he was an outsider," Zellweger says.

And Lucy H. Deakins '92, a Radcliffe undergraduate who says she was particularly affected by the rape, remembers hearing the news and being "shocked" and "horrified." She says she thinks the rally played an important role in making women feel they could be safe in their community.

"I think a lot of the immediate reaction was good--it quieted a lot of fears," Deakins says.