Yesterday afternoon, while some students lounged on the Mall in between classes, a man attempted to sexually assault a woman in a UA parking garage.

For the sixth time in a week, the mental and physical well-being of every student on this campus has been challenged as the result of a sex crime.

That is absolutely terrifying.

In a world filled with political strife and religious violence, it is sick that any person should also have to be wrought with fear about his or her personal safety in his or her own town. But the world isnât a perfect place. These crimes are happening, and they are happening right on our campus.

On Saturday, Tucsonan Esteban Rodriguez was arrested after he was suspected of harassing women in three UA dorms.

Then on Tuesday, a man wearing a ski mask barged into a womenâs restroom in La Paz Residence Hall and attempted to sexually assault another female student.

And now, in an unrelated incident, an innocent female student was nearly assaulted in Park Avenue Garage ÷ in the middle of the day.

It is a sad state of affairs the campus finds itself in as far as security is concerned. But campus police, security guards and administrators are not solely to blame. How could they be? Itâs not their fault every molester in the city has decided to come out of the woodwork and attempt to assault innocent students.

But this brings up a vital point: Each student must be responsible for his or her own well-being. You read it right from Kendrick Wilsonâs column in yesterdayâs Wildcat: students are taking safety measures into their own hands.

ăI keep my door closed, I donât open the windows anymore and I carry my pepper spray with me into the bathroom,ä said one anonymous female La Paz resident.

Let her story be an example to the rest of the campus. We canât rely on resident assistants and desk staff to watch every single person that walks into our dorms. They canât be omnipresent. Students must be accountable for their own safety, day or night, male or female.

Carry pepper spray. Travel in groups. Let others know where you are going and when you are coming back.

But donât be reduced to a state of paranoia. The lesson here is be safe and be aware of your surroundings. These assaults must end and the fight against them begins with you.