Five sexual assaults reported to BUPD
A female visitor to Warren Towers reported she was sexually assaulted in a bathroom on the 16th floor of Shields Tower early Sept. 30. She described her attacker as a white man in his early 20s, 5-foot-10 and weighing 170 pounds, according to the Boston University Police Department.
BU administrators met with students in Warren Towers soon after the victim reported the incident to address student concerns about the alleged assault, the third assault reported to the BUPD within a week. Police still have no leads in the investigation.
Since the beginning of the semester, five sexual assaults have been reported to the BUPD.
Dental school dean dies
BU School of Dental Medicine dean Spencer Frankl, 73, died Oct. 20 after battling cancer. He had held the top post longer than any other dean at any U.S. dental school.
“People described him as a giant,” said Kathleen Ferland, administrative director of the dean’s office. “He was a very effective leader. He had a lot of spirit and vision. He could see into the future 10 years ahead.”
BUPD car strikes
student
A BUPD cruiser struck a School of Law graduate student after making a left U-turn that is illegal for non-emergency vehicles on Commonwealth Avenue across from Marsh Plaza on Oct. 23. BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins said “appropriate action” was taken in the incident following an internal investigation.
BU Academy student dies
BU Academy sophomore Haley Morrill died after she collapsed at a school-sponsored retreat in Duxbury on Sept. 26. She was 15.
Friends and family remembered Morrill, a dancer and writer for her school’s newspaper, as a model student.
Sophomore accused of sexual abuse
An SMG sophomore will appear in a New York court today facing charges of sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl he met on Facebook.com.
Police say James Bogush, 20, said he was a 16-year-old high school student and drove to Scarsdale, N.Y. on Oct. 7 to meet the girl. Bogush faces charges of second-degree sexual abuse and second-degree endangering the welfare of a child.
Four Hockey players
suspended
Senior men’s hockey captain Brian McGuirk, as well as seniors Bryan Ewing and Dan McGoff and junior Brandon Yip, were suspended from the team Dec. 5 for violating team rules, coach Jack Parker said. Senior Pete MacArthur was named the new team captain, with senior Ryan Weston and junior Matt Gilroy as assistant captains.
The suspended players will return to the ice Dec. 30.
COM class investigated for student drinking
A College of Communication advertising class is being investigated after its two professors allowed students to drink beer in class in a possible violation of university policy, the school’s dean said.
Students have defended professors Lawrence DeLamarter and Dave Schaefer and said they have allowed students in their Advertising Copy and Design classes to drink beer as part of a class project for many years.
When interim dean Tobe Berkovitz became aware of the incident, he canceled the next November class, though the class resumed meeting after Thanksgiving.
Residential thefts
Several students said broken doors and faulty locks contributed to several dorm thefts on Bay State Road and in South Campus. More than $9,000 worth of electronics and jewelry were allegedly taken from students’ residences this semester.
FitRec thefts
Four thefts were reported from FitRec in September. BUPD described one possible suspect as an older, heavyset Hispanic man who carried a backpack. Police recently announced they have identified two more suspects.
Students register phone numbers, immunization records
Boston University officials announced in the first week of the semester that students who did not register emergency contact numbers on the Student Link website would not be able to register for classes in the spring semester. The phone numbers are used for Send Word Now, the emergency contact system, which BU has tested twice this semester. BU explored using the system in response to the Virginia Tech shootings that killed 32 people on the campus last April.
Students were also required to confirm they had been immunized against measles before they could register for classes. Student Health Services offered free measles vaccinations for students this summer after a part-time student was diagnosed with the disease.
RIAA sues students for illegal filesharing
The Recording Industry Association of America sent settlement offers to about 50 BU students in September and more than 40 students in December for illegally downloading files.
It is BU’s policy to forward the letters to students, though it has the option to ignore them. Students have an increased chance of being sued if they do not receive the settlement letters.
College students downloaded more than 1.3 billion music files illegally in 2006, accounting for a loss of $12.5 billion for the U.S. economy, according to a Dec. 6 RIAA press release.
