College Shorts

Author: Polly Johnson

UPenn students caught in fire

Six University of Pennsylvania students and one Bryn Mawr student were sent to the hospital on March 3 after a raging fire erupted at about 3:30 a.m. in a three-story student rowhouse at 4042 Sansom St., a Penn residence. While five of the seven students were treated for smoke inhalation and released the same day, the emotional toll was harder to cope with. All of the residents' belongings were lost in the fire and the residents had to be relocated to another apartment by their landlord.

The Philadelphia Fire Department responded to the call after only five minutes and the fire was under control by 4:20 a.m. Only one of the students was able to escape through the front door - the others were forced to jump from second-story windows or wait for the firefighters to rescue them.

Of the two students who were not released from the hospital the same day, one received treatment for secondary burns to the hand while the other was treated for carbon monoxide poisoning and secondary burns to the arm.

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Students opt to aid in hurricane relief over spring break

Forget body shots in Cancun. This spring break, over 1,000 students at 20 liberal arts colleges will spend their breaks volunteering in the areas of the Gulf Coast region devastated by Hurricanes Rita and Katrina. Schools that have reported students who are to volunteer include Gettysburg College, Colgate University, Dickinson College and Colorado College, among many others. Students are not just spending their time over spring break volunteering. From Macalester College, 21 students and seven staff members traveled to Gulfport, Miss. during the month of January to assist with all aspects of hurricane relief. Such duties included removing asbestos, cleaning houses and rebuilding homes. At Bard College, 130 students volunteered their help over winter break and are planning a return trip in May.

-Collegenews.org



Feel the breeze of helicopter parents

Do you have "helicopter parents?" Colleges and universities around the country have noticed a rise in parents who "hover" over every aspect of their children's lives. The term was coined by elementary school teachers in the early 90s, according to the Indianapolis Star. The dean of admissions at DePauw University, Stefanie Niles, notes that this trend of overly protective parents has escalated over the last three years. The article notes a mother of a student at the University of Indianapolis who requested that her son be moved to a single room because she did not like the mother of her son's roommate. The article suggests that these "soccer moms and dads" who have been involved with every aspect of their son's or daughter's childhood are finding it hard to let go once their children are off to college. With the ease of reaching their kids - through e-mail and cell phones - parents can meedle instantaneously.

-Indystar.com