VOL. 50 ISSUE 20 | SINCE 1967
MAR. 7, 2017
THE SENTINEL KENNESAW STATE UNIVERSITY | THE SENTINEL
KSU SOPHOMORE KILLED IN CAR CRASH
Lauren Leathers Staff Writer
Rep. Earl Ehrhart speaks from the well during a House session on March 3.
Photo courtesy of House Photography
SEXUAL ASSAULT BILL PASSES GA HOUSE,
would make universities report felonies to police Madeline McGee Staff Writer
SNEAK PEEK
The Georgia House of Representatives passed a bill on March 1 that would limit the role universities can play in investigating allegations of felonies on campuses, including sexual assault. Under current law, students who are victims of a crime can report it to the university and seek punishment against the perpetrator like suspension or expulsion. Alternatively, they can choose to report the crime to campus police and press charges.
House Bill 51, which passed the House by a margin of 115-55, would change that. The bill would require universities to report crimes to law enforcement, which includes campus police departments. Universities could no longer investigate alleged felonies through disciplinary committees or hearings. Furthermore, the university would not be allowed to pursue disciplinary action against the accused student until they have had a legal hearing. The
CAMPUS CARRY UPDATE Story Starts On Page 4
bill would affect all public universities and colleges in Georgia, as well as certain private institutions that are eligible for tuition equalizations grants. “No criminal investigation of [a felony] shall be undertaken by the postsecondary institution unless such investigation is done by a campus law enforcement agency,” the bill reads. Sexual Assault Bill continued on pg. 2
TESTING IS BROKEN Story Starts On Page 5
A KSU student was killed after being ejected from a car in an early-morning crash Friday, according to Cobb County police. Four students were inside the 2003 Acura when the driver reportedly lost control around 4:30 a.m. on the I-75 northbound exit ramp to Chastain Road. Police said the vehicle rolled onto its roof and then collided with a tree. Sophomore and 19-year-old business major Colin Ruland
was ejected from the car and later pronounced dead at WellStar Kennestone Hospital, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Police said that Ethan Dowell, the driver, was treated for nonlife-threatening injuries, along with Cole Kovarchik and Jordan Wormsby, the other two passengers. Car Crash continued on pg. 4
FBI INVESTIGATES HACK AT KSU ELECTIONS CENTER Sierra Hubbard Editor-in-Chief, Alex Patton Managing Editor The Center for Election Systems at KSU is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, according to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. The Secretary of State’s office said the investigation is not related to their own Elections Division. The office also confirmed that this is not a breach of the voter database, which includes the personal
COOKING MADE EASY Story Starts On Page 7
information of Georgia’s 6.6 million registered voters. The AJC says that the situation is developing, and no other details have been released. The FBI office in Atlanta said the bureau can neither confirm nor deny the existence of any investigation. Election Investigation continued on pg. 4
DIRECTOR WINS AWARD Story Starts On Page 13