The Daily Mississippian - October 22, 2014

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THE DAILY

MISSISSIPPIAN

Wednesday, October 22, 2014

Volume 103, No. 40

T H E S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R O F T H E U N I V E R S I T Y O F M I S S I S S I P P I S E R V I N G O L E M I S S A N D OX F O R D S I N C E 1 9 1 1

opinion

Cartoon: TSA vs. Ebola Page 2

lifestyles Tutwiler Quilters coming to Oxford Page 4

Visit theDMonline.com

@thedm_news

sports

Gleeson making impact on special teams Page 7

Disability Services provides assistance to injured students MITCHELL REDD

mrredd@go.olemiss.edu

The University of Mississippi maintains the department of Student Disabilities Services to assist students with self-disclosed disabilities that require accommodation and give support where it is needed. Student Disabilities Services Director Stacey Reycraft explained that temporary injuries are not officially a disability under federal law. However, the university is able to make some accommodations to those who have injuries that affect them inside and outside the classroom. The most frequent injuries the office of Student Disabilities Services deals with are those that impact writing, such as broken arms and shoulder surgery, and those that impact mobility, such as broken legs and knee surgeries. “The most common accommodations we provide for students with temporary injuries are note-taking assistance and assistance writing for exams PHOTO BY: CADY HERRING and tests,” Reycraft said. “For A handicap parking sign on campus is seen on campus Tuesday. Students can aquire temporary parking assistance while they students whose mobility may are injured.

be temporarily impacted, we can try to move classrooms if a class is not easily accessible. Students with temporary injuries are also encouraged to communicate closely with their instructors regarding any difficulties they are having in class.” Transportation is also a part of a student’s daily routine affected by an injury. While there is no legal obligation on the university to provide transportation to any student on campus, the university does create accommodations to assist students during their difficult times. Director of the Department of Parking and Transportation Mike Harris detailed ways in which in the university aids in a student’s daily commute on campus. As for students who have their own vehicle, the university has means for them to park close to their classes. “Currently, we allow those with a handicap placard and a University of Mississippi parking permit to park in handicap designated spaces anywhere on

SEE DISABILITY PAGE 3

SPECIAL TO THE DM

UM working to promote sexual assault awareness KARSON BRANDENBURG

knbrande@go.olemiss.edu

The University of Mississippi reported five forcible sex offenses on campus in 2013, while there were 10 reported in Lafayette County, according to official records. These incidents were among the 93 reported over the past five years, according the University Police Department’s Annual Security Report released Oct. 1. That number may seem low compared to other universities in the nation — like Penn State’s report of 56 sexual assaults in 2012, according to an article by The Washington Post in July 2014 — but University Assistant Police Chief Ray Hawkins isn’t satisfied. “Crime is always changing,” Hawkins said. “And I wouldn’t want to sit here and say ‘yes, we have a grip on crime.’ I think we’re always looking for

ways to improve, and we’re always looking for ways to make our campus safer. And even though I have some degree of comfort in where we are, I still think there’s room for improvement.” The university is required by federal law to report all crimes and make that information available to the public. The Annual Security Report also reports on non-forcible sex offenses, arson, burglary and aggravated assault, among other crimes. Sexual assaults on college campuses have recently hit the national news with President Barack Obama’s “It’s on Us” initiative, designed to draw attention to the problem and identify solutions. The website launched along with the “It’s on Us” campaign; itsonus.org states the initiative is a personal com-

SEE AWARENESS PAGE 3

GRAPHIC BY: LACEY RUSSELL

As of this week, 89 investigations of sexual assault are pending at 85 United States universities. Not pictured: University of Alaska System of Higher Education and University of Hawaii at Manoa. The number of federal investigations of on-campus sexual assault cases has increased 50 percent since May. Information gathered by the U.S. Department of Education.


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