College Shorts

Author: Polly johnson

Arrests made in Duke lax scandal
In another twist in the Duke lacrosse scandal, two Duke University lacrosse players were arrested early Tuesday morning on charges of raping and kidnapping an exotic dancer who was hired to perform at an off-campus party in early March. The two students are Reade Seligmann and Collin Finnerty, both 20.
It has not yet been released what possible evidence led the grand jury to indict the two students, although it was noted that there was "photographic evidence." Durham District Attorney Mike Nifong would not discuss any of the evidence. Both Seligmann and Finnerty have posted $400,000 bonds.
Larry Moneta, vice president of student affairs at Duke University, posted on Duke's News and Communications Web site, which has been the main source of information for updates on the scandal, that under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), the University is prohibited from releasing information regarding student disciplinary matters, but that historically it has been Duke's practice to issue an interim suspension when a student is charged with a felony.
Defense attorney for one of the lacrosse captains Bill Thomas has already stated that neither of the indicted students, according to witnesses, was even at the party at the time of the incident.
DNA tests that were administered to 46 of the 47 team members failed to connect any of the team members to the alleged victim.
-Yahoo.com, Duke.edu

Tornadoes shake Iowa City, college
University of Iowa students are still reeling in the aftermath of the damage inflicted on Iowa City and parts of the campus by tornados that hit last week. This is the first instance in 35 years that a tornado has actually hit the campus, although the city is very accustomed to storm warnings. On campus, a parking garage was damaged and trees were downed. The damage in town was much worse - overturned cars, snapped traffic lights and torn-off roofs were just the beginning of the destruction. A sorority house, Alpha Chi Omega, was completely destroyed. The storm collapsed the third floor and peeled off an entire side of the house, as the sorority sisters took shelter in the basement of the house.
The storm generated winds up to 150 miles per hour. Elsewhere in Iowa, a Nichols woman was killed when five or six tornadoes passed through eastern Iowa.
-The New York Times

Students protest wages at UVA
Seventeen University of Virginia students who had occupied a campus building for four days in a protest against wages paid to university employees were arrested last Saturday evening.
Recently, college students across the nation have taken it upon themselves to demonstrate in the name of campus employees who they consider underpaid. Last year, when Georgetown University students staged a hunger strike lasting nine days, officials raised wages of university employees.
Currently the lowest hourly wage at the University of Virginia is $9.37, which is less than what is the minimum amount of $10.72 that students say is the necessary amount to support a family.
­-Washingtonpost.com