WEDNESDAY | 10.26.11 MaceandCROWN.COM | Vol. 53, Issue 7
Field Hockey Stays On Top see C1 Rachel Chasin | Mace & Crown
ODU STUDENT ARRESTED IN CONNECTION TO ROBBERIES By: David Bakhshaee News Editor A student at Old Dominion University, and member of Theta Chi fraternity, Matthew John Blaszak, was arrested on Saturday, Oct. 15 in connection to a string of robberies in the Larchmont neighborhood surrounding Old Dominion University. At approximately 3 a.m., officers responded to the 1000 block of James-
town Crescent, a street located in the surrounding Larchmont-Edgewater neighborhood of ODU. Officers saw a man walking between two houses, and a brief chase ensued. Officers quickly caught the man, who had stolen property on his person. Blaszak, a resident of the 7400 block of Hampton Boulevard, has been charged with two counts of burglary and two counts of grand larceny. In a telephone interview with the
Mace & Crown, Carlton Bennet, an ODU alumni and brother of Theta Chi fraternity, would not elaborate on the arrest. “It’s not an issue,” said Bennet. On Oct. 19, Blaszak made his first court appearance in front of a Norfolk judge. Police reported that Blaszack left a trail of blood in one of the houses on Jamestown Crescent. The arrest of Blaszak, brings up the debate that has been brewing throughout the campus community and surrounding residential neighborhoods regarding safety concerns. The Larchmont-Edgewater community recently hosted a safety forum regarding the increase in crime around the area, and it was made clear during the forum that there exist two separate and very dif-
Beer Tasting Big Blue Brew Crew see B1
Robbery at 49 Street and Killam Avenue
Cyber Security Gets Its Own Month ODU TEAMS UP WITH GOVERNOR By: William Channel Staff Writer Old Dominion University has joined in Governor Bob McDonnell’s statewide campaign to help make October Cyber Security Awareness Month. The plan is to help spread the word about cybercrime and the things to watch out for when surfing the internet. To help spread the word on cyber security; ODU has put up posters in various buildings that give a website a student can go to and find out more on the subject, and OCCS is bring awareness to the three P’s (password, phishing, and patching). According to James Tate, who works as a assistant administrator for the network security for the Computer Science area, one of the most common threats that a person comes across right now are phishing sites. These are sites that mimic a legitimate site such as a bank or Facebook login screen, and record all the information that the person puts down. They do this in order to be able to gain personal information on the person or financial information. “The threat of financial information being taken is the scariest thing,” Erin Fagan, a junior in the marine biology department, said. Having financial information stolen can be devastating. But phishing sites are not the only threat on the internet. Tate mentions that he is starting to see a new email scam going around that talk about a person starting a new business and looking for reviews for the site. Only when a person goes to the site it is field with all kinds of malware, which is
any kind of malicious software such as viruses. There are a number of steps that a person can take in order to help prevent security risks though. The two big things are having a strong password and staying up-to-date with the
Claude Dargan | Mace & Crown
By: Erin Robertson Staff Writer Police are searching for three suspects after they robbed two men near the corner of 49 Street and Killam Avenue on Oct. 13. The suspects are said to have driven up to the men in a silver Toyota, displayed a weapon and demanded money around 11:15 p.m. One of the victims was an ODU student. The robbery accounts for one of almost 300 violent crimes committed within a mile of the campus since May of this year. These violent crimes have even resulted in the death of an ODU student in his rental house near the school. Two ODU students, Jabari Dukes, and his friend Christine Sanlouis, live in off-campus housing near the scene of last week’s robbery. Both said that they “don’t feel as safe as they should.” This was highlighted recently when Jabari’s car was broken into near the intersection of 39 Street and Killam Avenue. Jabari alerted both campus and City of Norfolk police, however the case remains unsolved. Jabari said that he was “not pleased” with the areas security. In 2010, the U.S. Department of
Education’s Office of Postsecondary Education reported ODU as having 50 robberies and burglaries in on and off campus housing. 15 accounts of forcible sex offenses and 12 instances of aggravated assault were also included. Collectively, these events have led some students to question their safety as they live on or off campus. Sanlouis said she “feels comfortable walking to classes, but she doesn’t have to walk to the campus at night. If she does, she never walks alone.” On their website, the university has offered several safety tips for students that are recommended to ensure a safe campus environment. It is recommended that students walk on well-lit paths and streets, and walk with others, especially at night. Also, utilizing the campus Safe Ride and Escort Service program, available 5:30 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. is highly recommended. To use the program, students simply need to dial 683-3477 or use any of the emergency telephones or blue light call boxes. Police officers are also availasble to escort students after hours. Additional safety information can be found on the Old Dominion University’s Health and Safety website at http://www.odu.edu/ao/safety/.