w w w. l a l o y o l a n . c o m
Student reports alleged rape
Los Angeles LOYOLAN The
Est. 1921
N IO SP
E. OM . H ICE UR YO R VO S. W U YO R NE U YO
OP IN
No ve
er 6, 2014 mb
It’s a battle of the coasts as we find out who makes the better date.
Page 6
TS OR
Keep up with the top stories from the NFL.
Page 16
V o LU M E
93
| ISSUE
17
Students cast their votes on Midterm Election Day
DPS sent out a safety buletin detailing the occurance of an alleged off-campus rape. Zaneta Pereira Editor in Chief @zanyzaneta
An LMU student was the victim of an alleged rape that occurred shortly after midnight on Saturday, Nov. 1, at an off-campus Halloween house party in the 8700 block of Yorktown Avenue, about 2.5 miles away from LMU. The LMU student reported the alleged incident to the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), which is currently in the midst of an ongoing investigation into the case. The Department of Public Safety (DPS) is also involved in the investigation due to the presence of LMU students at the party, according to DPS Chief Hampton Cantrell. According to LAPD crime data, the incident is classified as forcible rape. In a 2005 report from the National Institute of Justice, stranger rape is relatively uncommon on college campuses and less than 10 percent of attempted and completed rapes involving college students are committed by someone the victim does not know. Currently, DPS is “working with LAPD to try to identify the person and […] are conducting interviews and LAPD are conducting interviews but, at this point, the person is considered at large,” said Cantrell. Cantrell also stressed that anyone with information about this incident should come forward. “We are certainly looking for information on this particular case. If anybody has any information whatsoever to share with us, particularly if they were at the party, it See DPS alert | Page 2
Caroline Burt | Loyolan
On Tuesday, Nov. 4, LMU students and faculty excercised their rights as United States citizens by voting in the Midterm Election. The voting polls were set up in University Hall, and voters could cast their ballots in private booths. Congress woman Maxine Waters was reelected to represent the 43rd district, which includes Westchester, the area surrounding LMU.
Hunger Banquet Viral meningitis examines poverty cases on campus Multiple students contracted viral meningitis, which is not uncommon on college campuses. Julia Sacco News Editor
@_JuliaSacco_
Emma Spiekerman | Loyolan
The annual Hunger Banquet took place on Wednesday, Nov. 5, in St. Robert’s Hall. It aimed to shed light on the reality of hunger worldwide by assigning attendees to random seats and meals by the luck of the draw. The event was sponsored by Oxfam LMU, the Center for Service and Action (CSA), Pi Beta Phi and Sursum Corda service organization.
At least three LMU students have contracted viral meningitis, according to multiple sources in the LMU community. The Mayo Clinic defines meningitis as “an inflammation of the membranes (meninges) surrounding your brain and spinal cord.” According to the National Meningitis Association website, there are key differences between bacterial meningitis and viral meningitis. Bacterial meningitis can be potentially fatal, with effects ranging from amputations to permanent kidney and hearing damage. Viral meningitis, on the other hand, is rarely fatal in people with normal immune systems. While viral meningitis may have some of the same symptoms as bacterial, it is not as debilitating and most individuals
recover fully. Most students who attend universities are required to receive the bacterial meningitis vaccination upon entering; however, there is no specific vaccination or treatment available for viral meningitis. The Loyolan contacted three students who had confirmed via Facebook posts that they had contracted the illness, but each declined to comment. While Senior Vice President for Student Affairs Dr. Lane Bove would only refer to the cases as “suspected but unconfirmed,” she added that “there have been three suspected but unconfirmed cases of viral meningitis. None of the cases was related; there was no cluster of infected students in a particular area, dorm or class.” Bove also added that Student Heath Services (SHS) is aware of the students’ illness and has been involved in their recovery process. “SHS has reached out to the three students and they have all recovered. SHS is also attempting to gather further information about these three cases from the treating doctors and facilities in the community,” Bove said. See Meningitis | Page 2