More than seven months have passed since a fatal fire on East. 17th Avenue took the lives of five college students.

Though the crime remains unsolved, the Columbus Divisions of Police and Fire and the University Police do not want members of the community to forget the fire, or that the arsonist continues to walk free.

In an attempt to find more information that could lead to the arrest and conviction of the guilty party, both the Columbus Divisions of Police and Fire and the University Police united to create a poster that was put up around campus and the surrounding areas on Oct. 16. Since the poster was distributed, the university has received a lot positive feedback on the issue.

“The reception we got was excellent,” said Ruth Gerstner, from OSU’s Office of Student Affairs. “We raised a lot of awareness and have had a lot of interest in the poster.”

Besides helping to raise awareness about the crime, the poster was also OSU’s effort to assist with the investigation.

“Our role in putting up the poster was to support the police and fire investigation,” Gerstner said.

Since the posters were circulated, OSU students and campus-area residents have been reminded of the event. Many hope the poster will help solve the crime.

“The day I saw the posters around campus and in the paper, I was glad to see it in the public eye. I knew that the investigation was still going on, but I didn’t know how in-depth it still was,” said Matt McDaniel, a junior in family finance. “I just hope things like this help to have anyone that knows something step forward.”

The police and fire departments have appreciated the effort put forth by the students in helping to solve the crime.

“The kids have been great,” said Detective Mike McCann, from homicide at the Columbus Division of Police. “And the university has gone above and beyond.”

Hanging the posters is one of the many efforts the Columbus police and fire departments and the university have made to solve the crime.

The Office of Student Affairs created a Web site, and all OSU students received an e-mail containing a link to the poster, as well as ways to contact Central Ohio Crimestoppers with tips. Neither the police and fire departments, nor the university said it will put this case on hold anytime soon.

“I can’t say what we’ll do next. We just want to keep people aware that the investigation is still going on,” McCann said. “We’re going to do whatever we can to get this case solved. We’re not giving up.”