Robberies cause disruption of off-campus activity

E-mails sent to Lehigh students from Chief Ed Shupp:

December 2, 2010

Two Lehigh students were victims of armed robberies, in separate incidents, around 9 p.m. on Thursday, December 2nd. The robberies took place in the area of Packer and Montclair streets.  In both instances, a weapon was displayed by the two male assailants, and victims were asked to relinquish valuables such as cell phones and cash.  The victims were not harmed.

December 6, 2010

Recent criminal activity -- specifically several armed robberies in the
area of Packer Avenue and Montclair Street -- have left many members of the
campus community understandably concerned.

After talking over with the president and provost, certain measures will be implemented on campus.  These measures will include:

1. Adding foot patrols and police cars to off-campus areas.

2. Expanding TRACS routes.

3.  Imploring security cameras   

4.  LUPD is working with Bethlehem Police Department.

December 10, 2010

E-mail 1:

At approximately 2:25 a.m. Friday, December 10th, a female Lehigh undergraduate student was the victim of a strong-arm robbery after she was approached by one individual with three accomplices standing nearby.   

Personal property was taken.  The victim sustained minor injuries in the robbery, and was treated for the injuries.

E-mail 2:

The incident involving a female student at approximately 2:30 am Friday, Dec. 10th took place in the area of Pierce Street.

E-mail 3:

In a press conference held at 1 p.m. Friday, Dec. 10th, Bethlehem Police Chief Stu Bedics announced the arrests of the individuals responsible for several recent off-campus robberies. The four suspects - an 18 year old male, a 15 year old male, a 13 year old male and a 13 year old female – are believed to be involved with gang activity, Bedics said.

Two of the suspects have been charged with criminal conspiracy, robbery, theft, receiving stolen property, reckless endangerment and simple assault.  The 18 year old will be incarcerated in Northampton County Prison, and the remaining suspects will be retained in juvenile facilities.

The arrests came as the result of information determined during the police investigation following the strong-arm robbery of a female Lehigh student at approximately 2:30 a.m. Friday, Dec. 10th, in the Pierce Street area.

How are we supposed to feel safe?

My boyfriend lives off campus, and I am now afraid of walking to his house alone at night.  He literally lives a block off-campus.  But I am still afraid to walk down from the Hill by myself.

This is unacceptable; I should feel safe at my college.  I don’t like that I have to call a cop to walk me home from the library.  I don’t like that I feel afraid to walk from East Fifth to Pantry One.

There has been an on-going battle between the citizens of Bethlehem and Lehigh students.  This Brown and White article outlines the views of the public in this article. http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/cdm4/bw2_viewer.php?DMTHUMB=&search=0&ptr=39249&CISOPTR=39243

The Brown and White reporter shows Lehigh students that some of that “townie” hate is reciprocated to the “stuck up preppies”.

The story discusses the public view on how they are unable to walk up to the lookout point next to ATO, use the gym and library, and generally around campus.  One even speaks out against the LUPD because a cop chased her off campus and told her to get off private property.   She comments on the cop attitude also.

New flash: Lehigh IS private property.  It’s worth $50,000 plus some, multiplied by the 5,000 students who pay that amount.  I don’t like going to the gym and getting hit on by the “townies” that sneak in.  I don’t like being afraid to go the library late at night because some drunk Puerto Rican from South side wanted to be funny and run around.  I don’t like having to carry a miniature pepper spray I had to ask my dad to buy.

I was considering living off-campus next year but now, why should I when the robberies were right down the street?  I’m afraid to walk around there just going to a friend’s house, how can I leave a house that is right next to the scene of the crime without being terrified?

Last night, I was walking off-campus in a group a friends and I was happy to see a LUPD foot patrol walk by.  The extra cops do help but I still feel like I should feel safe walking around without the foot patrols.

Here are some published works from The Brown and White that covers the relationship between Lehigh’s community and Bethlehem’s community:

Letter to the editor

http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/cdm4/bw2_viewer.php?DMTHUMB=&ptr=56546&CISOPTR=56542&search=bethlehem%20snobby%20rich%20kids_0_00000000-99999999

Off-campus safety

http://digital.lib.lehigh.edu/cdm4/bw2_viewer.php?DMTHUMB=&ptr=51040&CISOPTR=51020&search=bethlehem%20off-campus%20dangerous_0_19970000-20009999

Four students robbed in their house

http://media.www.thebrownandwhite.com/media/storage/paper1233/news/2010/10/29/News/Four-Students.Robbed.Off.Campus-3951087.shtml

Editorial: Taking Precautions

http://media.www.thebrownandwhite.com/media/storage/paper1233/news/2010/12/10/Opinion/Editorial.Taking.Precautions-3966464.shtml

Gay Abuse Turns to Suicide

I am an active member in Spectrum, the gay-straight alliance, and Greek Allies, an educational Greek program on LGBT issues.  I have heard countless stories of LGBT members being abused and I’m sick of it.  If a brother comes out and a fraternity turns their back on them, the school does nothing.  I know a member who had to move out of his own fraternity house because of the discomfort he felt after coming out to another member.

A close friend of mine just came out to me and she was unable to go home for Thanksgiving because the critique she endured when coming out to her parents.  Instead she stayed at her cousin’s house and had to deal with ridicule from her once close family.

There are many other incidents that happened on other college campuses.  Some of these led the student to commit suicide.  Here are some examples:

1. This is the most famous, the Rutgers sex webcast. http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504083_162-20018006-504083.html

2. This article discusses a youth in Michigan that committed suicide and it also outlines that most recent suicides.  http://www.chicagonow.com/blogs/lenox-second-city/2010/11/yet-another-gay-teen-suicide-this-time-in-michigan.html

Lehigh needs to realize: There is nothing wrong with anyone who is a part of the LGBT community.  Stop the ridicule and using the word “gay” negatively.  It affects the whole campus, whether you notice or not.  It can also cause a LGBT member to be serious about committing suicide.  Don’t let this happen to your friends or your fraternity and sorority brothers and sisters.

Steven Chapman, Chicago Tribune columnist, discusses his own homophobia and how he gets over it in this article.  http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/ct-oped-chapman-dupe,0,2745886.column

Here is an article about gender on Facebook.  Many transgender people struggle with putting male or female up, especially if they are trying to hide their identity.  http://www.torontosun.com/life/2010/12/03/16416036.html

If you have a friend in need, please consult help on campus.  In the UC there is the rainbow room as well as the LGBT Services Director.  Also look at this link brush up on warning signs of suicide. http://www.gloucestertimes.com/lifestyle/x552967241/Profile-of-teen-suicide-Warning-signs-there-could-be-a-problem

College Kids Go Too Loko for Four Loko: Put in hospital for internal bleeding

Last week I received an e-mail warning me of the dangers four lokos pose.  In that e-mail this student voiced a story of his friend during the Lehigh-Lafayette game:

"I am writing to inform you of an incident that occurred this weekend during the Lehigh/Lafayette tailgates. On Saturday morning, my good friend, weighing 145 pounds, consumed four Four Lokos prior to 0930. At 1030, he started to throw up black vomit, an indication that he was experiencing internal bleeding. By 1045, he collapsed in the field, and was rushed to the hospital. He was placed on a ventilator, and remained unconscious in the ICU until 1200 on Sunday. Fortunately, he is now stable, and will be released from the hospital tomorrow. He currently has some internal organ damage, and a case of pneumonia, resulting from asphyxiation when he choked on his vomit."

After reading this and researching through google, I found the popular drink Four Loko will no longer contain caffeine, because the ban of Food and Drug Administration.

Here are two articles from San Diego and Wisconsin that outline why the ban happened and how college students were involved:

San Diego- http://www.thedailyaztec.com/news/fda-demands-four-loko-lose-its-buzz-1.2417321

Washington-  http://www.royalpurplenews.com/news/four-loko-joose-might-be-outlawed-1.1813977

Through more research I found that a Four Loko is equivalent to a Monster energy drink, melted Jolly Ranchers, generic caffeine tablets, and topped off with a 40 and some sprite. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tTqSs9TO9tI

That’s an extreme amount of caffeine, sugar, and alcohol.  Students need to realize the dangers of these kinds of drinks.  Pre-gaming with these drinks will cause you to black out and get sick.

I advise you to be cautionary when drinking Four Lokos and going out to social events in general.

Finals Tips: How to beat the stress before it beats you!

There are only 2 more weeks of classes left (Woo!) but this also means Final exams are also coming up (Boo!).  So I thought it would be an appropriate time to start discussing ways to know what your teacher plans on putting on the test and other things to keep you on the right track to getting an A.

1.  Don't study so much that you get stressed out and are unable to study.  It happens all the time but don't let it happen to you.  Just focus on all the materials your professor gives you and you'll do great.

2.  Go to any study session available. Teachers usually have these or ask their T.A.'s to have a session for students to come and ask questions.  Get the bulk of your studying done before this so you know exactly what you need to know or want to know for the test.

3.  Have some you time.  Go work out or place some video games.  Even going to the mall for a little will help give your mind a little break to make sure you don't over work it.

4.  Pay attention in the classes leading up to the exam.  Teachers almost always have a class dedicated to what is on the exam. If you have been slacking all semester, this is the time you should really tighten your chain and get to class.

5.  Go to sleep.  Take a nap.  Get lots of sleep to keep your energy up by sleeping enough.  Make sure you give yourself enough time to study and don't pull an all-nighter.

6.  Arrive on time.  You don't want to wake up late and be extremely anxious from being late.  Plus your going to want every second of the time to use for your final.

7.  Study in Groups.  If you aren't studying the right way, this is the best way to make sure you are.  If other students picked up the same themes and details from class as you have, then you are on the right track to getting a good grade.

8. When the exam is over, let it go!  Forget it! Move on to the next one, or go enjoy the break!  If you do have major concerns, go see your professor.

Hopefully these tips help you out with the next two weeks.  And maybe you'll survive finals week :)

Are there really that many Squirrels?

Every so often I notice a squirrel prancing around my home in Landing, but rarely can I walk the Lehigh campus and ignore the large population of squirrels.  Today, I counted the squirrels I walked by, and I stopped after 30.  I had walked from Packard Lab to Linderman Library.  I did it again, only this time I kept my head straight, I still counted only 13.  So I decided to scan through my face book chat list and asked a few people.  Here are their stories:

A senior in D Chi

“I was taking out garbage one day and I’m walking over to the Trembley dumpster.  I opened the dumpster and a squirrel jumped out and I scream like a girl.  These girls saw me and I was so scared that I just ran and just left the trash there.”

A senior in Theta

“I got cornered by a bunch of squirrels my freshman year.  They chased me back to Dravo.  I was walking from the dining hall.  It was winter and they were getting ornery.”

A sophomore in Psi U

“I was walking to class from my house between Trembley and the parking garage I saw a hawk fly by a tree, rip a squirrel off of it, and devour it on the front lawn.”

A junior in theta

“One time I was walking out of the house and it jumped from the porch to a tree and clung onto it.”

A senior off campus

 “I was walking and it ran out in front of me and I accidentally kicked it.”

A senior in D chi

“One time I saw a kid have a staring contest for 30 seconds.”

As I was asking people for their stories, I was also typing into Google.com trying to see what Lehigh’s squirrel population was.  I found out we have a five-out-of-five squirrel ranking.  Please click on this link to find out more about five-squirrel ranked schools. http://www.kstatecollegian.com/k-state-ranks-high-on-squirrel-population-list-1.724697  

The best advice I can give those with squirrel problems is to read this link.  http://www.unitedwildlife.com/animalssquirrel.html .  Hopefully you won't have to use any of these methods but some of those squirrels are feisty and vengeful so be careful.

Quantity and Quality and Efficiency vs. Local small business: Netflix vs. 48 Hour Video

Netflix is a must on Lehigh’s campus.  You decide:

The 48-hour sketchy business down the street  OR you can sit in the comfort of your own dorm, apartment, and off-campus house to stream the shows, movies, and documentaries from your computer or your Wii or your PS 3 or your XBOX 360.

Instead of throwing a bunch of elaborate sentences saying the pros and cons of Netflix, I listed them so you don’t have to read a 4-page paper.

Pros	Cons
-Basically no effort	-You have to wait for mail-ins
- Easy to obtain	-It costs more than a dollar
-Monthly bill that can be cancelled all the time.	-It’s a huge homework distraction
- Cheap, first month is a free trial
-Has new releases
-Includes more than just movies; it has millions of seasons from TV shows
-You have unlimited movies, shows, etc. for every month you pay for
-Easily used
-Credible
-College students are lazy, Netflix is a solution (to still be lazy but accomplish more)
-There are helpful documentaries you can use as sources for

For a less biased view on Netflix, please visit http://www.netflixreview.com/

This will give you an overview of the good and the bad.  But the bad says there’s no spontaneity but most college students have their computers hooked to their TVs or at least they should. (They are really cheap on Amazon.com for $8 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001YK3Q1A?linkCode=xm2&tag=invihand-20)

One member speaks against Netflix, about the mailing delays, and a few other problems.

http://forums.highdefdigest.com/high-definition-smackdown/86686-netflix-sucks.html

Even though I do agree with the delays, Netflix loads faster than this member implies (“I get greeted with a message saying it will take 5 hours for your movie to start.”)  I have watch thousands of hours on my computer and it takes about 3-4 seconds to load.  Since I started using Netflix (last month), I have watched 5 seasons of Weeds and American Dad, 3 seasons of 30 Rock, tons of SNL, lots of Futurama, and many more shows and even more movies.

Netflix also opened my eyes to something called a documentary.  Which, as an educated college student, I had thought to be those boring things teachers would put on and I would get to take a nap.  As it has it, I was wrong.  There are documentaries on everything.  I have watched my good share of documentaries on foods you shouldn’t eat and have discovered a new world under the ocean.  I also found a documentary that’s useful for my Environmental History class (if the teacher is Chamberlain take it!!).

http://www.netflix.com/ I think you should click on this link and at least take an advantage of a whole month of free rentals.

New Option for Late Night Snacking

Freshman year is full of fun new experiences like the first time you go to the post office and can’t open your box or the first time you figure out how to study for four o’clocks.  Or even the popular discovery of late night snacking.  As a freshman, or even an upper class man, Hawk’s Nest might be your first choice.  But your choice is sadly misguided.

The food at Hawks Nest is greasy and delicious for perfect midnight snack cravings.  But the on-campus late night diner sells you greasy food for almost twice as much as it should. The prices are inflated so much that all your Dining Dollars and occasionally your gold plus is tapped out if you are a frequent visitor.  I used to spend about $5 on an order of 4 mozzarella sticks, and about $6 for 3 chicken fingers.  This order totals up to be $11 for you and a friend.

Another less expensive option is the all time famous Pantry One, more commonly referred to as P1.  It is cheaper and open late.  My favorite choice is an order of perogies (3 for about $3), an order of mozzarella sticks (5 for about $3), and an order of 4 chicken fingers and fries for $4.  This order totals up to be $10 for you and two friends.