WEDNESday
SEPTEMBER 24, 2014
Wednesday High 87, Low 63 Thursday High 88, Low 64
VOLUME 100 ISSUE 15 FIRST COPY FREE, ADDITIONAL COPIES 50 CENTS
environment
NEWS Briefs World WASHINGTON— Combined U.S.Arab airstrikes hit Islamic State group military strongholds in Syria and Iraq and a simultaneous U.S. strike attacked an al-Qaida cell with “significant explosives skills” said to be plotting attacks on the U.S. and Western interests, the U.S. military said.
National LOS ANGELES— A fire that raged overnight on the underside of an old wooden wharf was finally quelled Tuesday but not before all container terminals at the Port of Los Angeles and several in adjacent Long Beach harbor were shut down because of worries about unhealthy smoke.
Courtesy of SMU
Not On My Campus is a campaign throughout the U.S. that encourages students to fight against sexual assaults on their college campuses.
Examining the figures behind the ‘Red Zone’ mEredith carey Assignments Desk Editor mbcarey@smu.edu “I would say there are always times I feel unsafe, but as I’ve been here at SMU, I’ve become more aware of the dangers that I don’t think freshman are aware of,” junior Lauren Mensing said. In the past two weeks, those dangers have become apparent to all students, faculty and neighbors of SMU. One student was raped on a run around the seemingly safe Highland Park. Another reported being sexually assaulted in a residential commons. Mentions of forcible fondling and sex offenses are
found on September’s Crime and Fire Log. The front page of the Metro section of the Sunday Dallas Morning News touted a former SMU student who has filed suit against SMU for allegedly mishandling his sexual assault case. But during this first six-week period, the so-called “Red Zone,” reports and occurrences of sexual assault may not be out of place. The Red Zone is allocated as the time in which underclassmen, especially first-years are at risk for sexual assault. With reports coming in only four weeks into the 201415 school year, it appears as if SMU may be suffering from
a concerning problem: fitting the trend. A 2006 study discovered that 84 percent of college women who reported sexual assaults or coercive situations experiences the incident in the first four semesters on campus. Though ages are not disclosed in the police logs, the time between the first day of class and Fall Break is an important focus for SMU. “The first six weeks are generally a transition time for all students. Students have all kinds of adjustment issues, making new friends and testing limits they may not have tested before. We focus our support on first year students,” Vice President
Dallas Hall goes green christina cox Managing Editor clcox@smu.edu
for Student Affairs Lori White said. Efforts like Not on My Campus and the President’s Task Force on Sexual Misconduct Policies and Procedures are making strides to improve the campus’ reaction and prevention but some students feel that not much has changed. “I knew a number of people freshman year who reported being sexually assaulted but honestly, I’m not sure what’s really been done since,” one junior student said. At SMU, the emphasis has been put on reporting instances of sexual assault.
The first building on SMU’s campus is in the process of obtaining Leadership in Energy And Environmental Design (LEED) certification. The certification would make Dallas Hall the first 100-year, historic building in the state of Texas to receive this recognition. According to the U.S. Building Council, LEED certification is a voluntary rating system for the design, construction and operation of high-performance green buildings. LEED provides building operators a framework for identifying and implementing green building solutions. Today LEED uses nine rating systems across five major categories: sustainable sites, water efficiency, energy and atmosphere, material and resources and indoor environmental quality. The points earned from each category determine the level of certification a building will receive.
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SAFET Y CHARLOTTESVILLE,Va.— The man authorities believe was the last person seen with a University of Virginia student before she disappeared has been charged with abduction, police said Tuesday night.
Texas HOUSTON— The girlfriend of a Texas researcher who prosecutors allege was poisoned by a woman with whom he was having an affair testified Tuesday that her boyfriend suspected the woman was responsible but was afraid to contact authorities. EL PASO— Officials at a hospital where a nurse assistant exposed more than 750 infants to tuberculosis say they didn’t learn of the worker’s symptoms until July during her annual screening.
Recent assaults bring up issue of campus safety ashley Almquist Contributing Writer aaalmquist@smu.edu The SMU campus seems like a safe environment, but should students feel at ease when walking alone? The walk to class just got a little bit longer with the addition of the Residential Commons and many students are apprehensive when walking on campus. “I definitely feel safe during
the day but at night I would say it depends on the area,” sophomore Marielle Newell said. SMU provides services for students who want to stay safe on their journey to class. Giddy Up is a campus security escort service that offers free rides anywhere on the SMU campus. but some students aren’t satisfied with the program and its ability to increase security on campus. “They never answer the phones so you’re forced to walk alone
on campus,” sophomore Emma Wesel said. When students do have to walk alone on campus, SMU provides Emergency Blue Light phones. Students can press the call button to get in direct contact with the SMU Police Department. A police officer will immediately dispatch to the location of the phone to assist the caller. The SMU Police Department encourages students to report suspicious activity on campus.
“We encourage students to please call 911 immediately. Time is the essence in such situations,” Lieutenant Bernie Trujillo said. “We are here for you to keep the community safe.” SMU PD also gives students rides when Giddy Up is no longer running. According to Lt. Trujillo, students can call the police to get an escort 24 hours a day. Students can also take safety into their own hands by learning self defense.
“Any form of resistance. If you put up any fight. It doesn’t need to knock attackers down. But if you are loud, if you are taking time, you will discourage the attacker,” Simmons professor Piotr Chelstowski said. Students in these classes are taking action and practicing skills to increase their safety here. The SMU Police Department encourages students to take precautions when walking around campus alone at night.
technology
Apple releases ‘bigger than bigger’ iPhone 6 emily ward Contributing Writer eward@smu.edu At 11:30 p.m. Thursday, the should-be quiet corner on Knox Street and McKinney Avenue in North Dallas was bustling. Amidst a row of dark shops, the Apple store was ablaze with light as workers hung curtains to block the glass front and switched the side windows from ads of the iPhone 5s and 5c to what Apple was describing as “Bigger than bigger.” The store would be opening at 8 a.m. Friday, rather than its usual 10 a.m., to release the brand new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. One-hundred-twenty-three eager customers were already lining themselves around the building in anticipation. Lyel Lathem, who held the prized first spot in line, had been camping out since 10:30 a.m.
Courtesy of Apple
Apple began selling the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus nationwide Friday morning.
Tuesday. However, morale was still high and neighbors in line chatted with one another, even willing to hold each other’s spots for short
amounts of time. “Friends who knew I was camping out for the new phone asked if I could purchase them
phones too, but I said no. Out of respect for the people waiting in line behind me, I couldn’t buy multiple phones of a limited stock for
people who weren’t there with me,” Lathem said. Lucky for the eager customers behind him too, considering the astounding amount of pre-orders and limited supply of both phones in each physical store. On Sept. 15 Apple announced that there was a combined 4 million iPhone 6 and 6 Plus pre-orders within the first 24 hours of sales. These sales are double the 2 million iPhone 5 pre-orders in September 2012, and 3.4 million more than the 600,000 iPhone 4 pre-orders in June 2010, or a 567 percent increase. This was the tenth campout for the release of a new Apple product for Justin Wagoner, the second man in line. His greatest expectation for the new phone was the bigger, almost tablet-like screen. When asked if he would be purchasing the
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