At last week’s presidents’ council meeting for the Panhellenic Council, sorority presidents were notified that a sorority member had recently been attacked by a man.

Sonja Rice, Panhellenic Council president, said, “Right now, we’re just trying to educate everyone, make sure everyone knows it has occurred and to be on the look out for it.”

The sorority member was contacted, but she did not want to give her name or discuss the incident.

Sgt. Randy Kessel of the Ames Police Department, said they investigated an attempted assault which occurred Friday, Oct. 26.

In the incident, a young woman was walking home in the sorority circle area when she was approached by a white male who attempted to accost her, Kessel said.

She was able to break away from the man and get back to her residence, he said.

Officers attempted to find witnesses to the event, but could not, he said. No arrests were made.

Kessel said in past cases of women being assaulted, many suspects have been from outside the Ames area.

“It’s because you have a younger population here in town,” Kessel said. “It draws people in who would prey upon young ladies.”

Jenny Agnew, president of Pi Beta Phi, said she was informed at the presidents’ meeting to let members of her chapter know about the incident and to emphasize the importance of walking with other people.

“That’s really the only thing we can do,” Agnew said.

Agnew said her chapter had a self-defense program earlier in the semester and also had Niki Sipes, an Ames police officer, present the Whistle Stop Program on safety.

“I know that we’ve set some precautions from other things we’ve heard,” said Laura Schmeling, chapter relations chairwoman for Alpha Omicron Pi. “Normally friends just watch out for friends.”

She said they have been advised not to walk by themselves, not to leave a party alone and to have someone come get them if they are alone.

Kessel said after the assault was reported in October, he contacted the Department of Public Safety about the university’s escort service.

“They’ve got that service and they want to use it,” Kessel said.

He said female students who are alone late at night should take advantage of this service, even when they are in a hurry.

“Even though Ames is a safe community, it’s always good to take precautions,” Kessel said.

Kessel also advised students to walk in well lit, heavily traveled areas and to avoid wooded or shrubbed areas such as bike trails.

“[An assault] usually happens in dimly lit areas where no one’s around to help,” Kessel said.

He also recommended student organizations take advantage of the Whistle Stop Program put on by officers Sipes and Taunya Short.

Rice said the council will take additional precautionary steps if they become necessary to make students more aware of the dangers.