INDEX
Emory Events Calendar, Page 2
Student Life, Page 9
Crossword Puzzle, Page 8
Staff Editorial, Page 6
Police Record, Page 2
On Fire, Page 11
THE EMORY WHEEL Since 1919
The Independent Student Newspaper of Emory University
Volume 95, Issue 11
www.emorywheel.com
Friday, October 4, 2013 TRANSPORTATION
Every Tuesday and Friday
CRIME
Students, Faculty Change Annual Emory Crime Report Released Parking Permit Use Reported Sexual Offenses, Drug Violations Rise Parking Services Notices Increase In Demand, Implements Solutions By Karishma Mehrotra Asst. News Editor Due to unexpected changes in the times that students and faculty with campus parking permits utilize the Peavine and Michael St. parking decks, Emory’s Transportation and Parking Services has changed some of its parking practices this semester, according to parking officials. Cumulatively, the two have never seen such ongoing changes like the ones they observed this year, they said. After the normal weeklong Labor Day rush, Director of Parking and Transportation Adele Clements and Associate Vice President Lisa Underwood said they noticed an unusual and persistent pattern: a lack of vacant spaces and an increase in complaints beyond the expected temporary surge. Compared to the situation at Peavine, the situation at the Michael St. parking garage was slightly more strenuous and challenging during the week of Sept. 9, they said in a joint interview. “It’s one of those things that goes well most of the time so people don’t think about it,” Underwood said. The parking services reassigned
students and employees who volunteered about two weeks ago, and they converted several visitor parking spots into permit parking spots, resolving the issue, according to Clements. Earlier in September, parking deck attendants were required to hand out passes for cars that had to park elsewhere, but they have not had to do so in about a week, after the short-term changes the department implemented. Also, in the last two weeks, complaints have subsided, they said. “It’s been coming together,” Underwood said. “I do think it’s fully resolved now, for the most part. We’ve got a little bit of a straggling thing in Peavine but we have a good plan.” The two hypothesized that the recent credit-hour changes have caused students to park in the parking decks longer and more often than usual, since the Department of Parking and Transportation did not distribute more parking permits than they did in previous years. “There is not a parking shortage,” Underwood said. “It’s really a simple
See UNDERWOOD, Page 5
James Crissman/Editor
Parking Services hypothesizes that students are using their permits differently because of recent credit hour and scheduling changes.
By Karishma Mehrotra Asst. News Editor And Dustin Slade Asst. News Editor In the past three years, reported forcible sex offenses have increased 150 percent, reported drug law violations with disciplinary referrals have risen 213 percent and reported liquor law violations with disciplinary referrals increased 9.46 percent, according to Emory’s annual security report released via a University-wide email this week. Emory releases the Annual Security Report, Annual Fire Safety Report and Statement of Campus Security Policy in accordance with the “Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act,” which mandates all colleges that receive federal funding to release crime and violation statistics, as well as the “Higher Education Opportunity Act,” which details numerous reporting requirements. In 2010, 10 forcible sex offenses were reported; in 2011, there were 12; and in 2012, 25. Meanwhile, 46 drug law violations were reported in 2010, then 66 in 2011 and 144 in 2012. In 2010, 169 liquor law violations were reported, followed 177 and 185 in 2011 and 2012, respectively. Reported burglaries decreased 50 percent in the three years, from 14 in 2012 to seven in 2010. The Emory Police Department (EPD) compiles these statistics based on the information that they receive directly as well as crimes reported to other campus security and local police, according to this year’s report. Senior Associate Dean and Director of Campus Life External Relations Life Andy Wilson said his office takes the increase in violations very seriously and that his office will continue to educate, monitor and enforce alcohol and drug policies. Wilson added that he believes changes in protocol and some additional training practices that Residence Life and Housing implemented in 2012 may be related to the enforcement of the drug polices in particular in the residence halls. This enhancement may have prompted the
Liberal Arts Commission Kicks Off Semester By Naomi Maisel Staff Writer Emory’s Commission on the Liberal Arts (CoLA) has taken on new leadership on and will begin working toward establishing the liberal arts on campus. Robyn Fivush, the Samuel Candler Dobbs professor of Psychology and CoLA’s current chair, is replacing former Provost Earl Lewis, who began the effort last year. Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, Charles Howard Candler Professor of Public Health and previous CoLA Co-Chair Claire Sterk said the commission is making liberal education “a key domain of focus.” The commission plans to develop three subcommittees that will focus
*Data compiled from annual crime report, released this week
forcible sexual offenses
2010
10
2011
10
20
2011
177
185
2012
14
2011
since 2010
7 5
2010
15
10
46
2011
66 144
2012 50
100
since 2010
150
The Wheel would like to clarify that these statistics do not necessarily indicate an increase or decrease in crime. Rather, they could indicate changes in enforcement. Graphic by Jordan Friedman/Executive Editor
increase in reported drug law violations on the main campus, he said. According to Senior Communications Officer Beverly Clark, nearly all the forcible sex offenses in the statistics were reported anonymously through Emory’s Respect Program. “The University works proactively to build a safe community,” she wrote in an email to the Wheel. “According to the Clery Center for Security on Campus, colleges and universities that are effectively educating their students and responding to victims may likely have higher numbers of sexual misconduct cases reported to campus officials.” Clark added that Emory treats all complaints and accusations of sexual misconduct seriously. “[Emory] provides multiple resources to students, faculty and
staff for outreach, support, reporting and advocacy,” she wrote, citing appointed coordinators to serve the affected, Creating Emory, the programs administered by the Respect Program. Lauren Bernstein, the Respect Program’s coordinator, wrote in an email to the Wheel that sexual violence is a “pervasive public-health problem” affecting about one in four women and one in 33 men on college campuses nationwide. “Increased reporting is actually a positive sign that more students are coming forward and getting help who have survived sexual violence,” she said. Clark explained that the Respect Program facilitates Creating Emory — a first-year Orientation program — as well as a sexual misconduct prevention and advocacy training for
student leaders and staff, including Orientation leaders and resident advisors, among many other initiatives. Additionally, Emory has appointed a University Title IX Coordinator and Title IX Coordinator for Students, who serve as an initial point of contact for students affected by sexual misconduct, she wrote. Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 is “a federal civil rights law that prohibits discrimination on the basis of sex in federally-funded education programs,” she wrote. College junior Abi Averill said she does not know if these statistics surprise her. “I feel like most students on Emory’s campus, and honestly at every college around the country, are taking part in drinking and drugs,”
See INCREASED, Page 5
By Ashley Bianco Contributing Writer
In recent years Emory has become a force to be reckoned with in terms of college rankings, as it has maintained its status as one of U.S. News and World Report’s top 20 universities. In August, Forbes Magazine decided to drop Emory from its list of top universities as a consequence of last summer’s revelation that Emory had been intentionally misreporting admissions test scores. Although Emory has succeeded in maintaining its standing, it faces a new challenge: as of Aug. 22, President Barack Obama has changed the face of college rankings. As high school seniors struggle to decide where they’ll be spending their college career, publicized rankings have become an increasingly important factor in their decision. The college ranking system has traditionally been dependent upon factors such as academic resources, selectivity and SAT/ACT scores. However, according to a recent New York Times article, Obama is planning to change these factors. According to the Office of the Press
Secretary, the new college ranking system will place an increased focus on financial aid, scholarships and job placement after college, while also striving to lower the cost of a college education. Although there are those at Emory who fear that Obama’s new ranking system will overlook some of the more unique aspects of the university, Charlie Harman, vice president of government and community affairs at Emory, firmly believes that with the university focused on excellence and education, there shouldn’t be a need to worry. “It is premature to assess any of the concepts [Obama] introduced because the Administration, much less Congress, has not developed specifics around the broad proposals he has put forward including his scorecard,” Harman said. Harman also said he believed that Emory would always be recognized as a leader amongst universities because, as he put it, “we put the
See WAGNER, Page 5
Hagar Elsayed/Contributor
The Sorority and Fraternity Life Review Board, which is made up of students, will oversee conduct violations of Greek organizations.
New Board to Review Greek Life Conduct By Lydia O’Neal Greek Beat Writer For the first time in recent years, Emory’s Office of Student Conduct has established a permanent Greek Conduct Review Board, in which representatives from each of the four Greek councils review and educate Greek peers and their organizations accused of violating conduct. The last time a board similar to this one existed at Emory was more than six years ago, according to Senior Associate Vice President of Campus Life Carolyn Livingston. Created during the summer, the
board solves issues of overlap within the Conduct Code hearing process and gives Greek organizations the opportunity to self-govern. Half of the 16 student board members handle hearings, while the other half works to educate the Greek community on hazing prevention, sexual assault prevention and risk management. Members of the Greek Conduct Review Board — or the Sorority and Fraternity Life Review Board (SFLRB) — applied for their positions in the spring. They then took part in collaborative discussion-based training and
NEWS LOCAL RESIDENTS
OP-EDS WRITERS
STUDENT LIFE
SPORTS GOLF TEAM
COMPLAIN ABOUT CONCERT
DISCUSS GOV’T SHUTDOWN AND
WRITERS CHOOSE THE BEST LOVE SONGS OF ALL TIME ... PAGE 9
FINISHES IN NINTH PLACE AT
...
213% increase
Obama’s New Rankings to Emphasize Financial Aid
See AUDIENCE, Page 5
NOISE
since 2010
50% decrease
8
2012
9.46% increase
180
120
2010
Drug law violations
30
169
60
burglaries
since 2010
25
2012
2010
liquor law violations
150% increase
12
GREEK LIFE
FEATURE
ACADEMICS
reported crimes at emory, 2010-2012*
PAGE 3
ITS IMPLICATIONS
...
PAGE 7
GORDIWN CLASSIC... BACK PAGE
mock hearings in August and began taking cases on the first Friday of this semester. Associate Director of Student Conduct Marlon Gibson, who advises the Sorority and Fraternity Life Review Board, helped recruit and train the board members. Despite his advisory role, Gibson said he has little to no influence over the group. “I answer their questions — I like advising them,” he said. “But at the end of the day, we want them to have a lot of independence.” Two groups of eight students each
See GREEK, Page 5
NEXT ISSUE THE TIBET-EMORY PARTNERSHIP AND ITS FORMATION... TUESDAY