Despicable

A nice column from OU's daily paper:


COLUMN: JuicyCampus.com successful despite despicable defamation
Eric Combs/The Daily
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Sometimes I wish Al Gore, or whoever it was, never invented the Internet.Sure, the World Wide Web has offered a great deal of convenience over the years, including things like instantaneous communication, access to hoards of information in seconds and the ability to pirate overpriced music for free. But every advantage has its drawback.
For a long time, I thought Facebook and MySpace were the worst things ever spawned from the information superhighway. That was until I heard the words “JuicyCampus.com” and “University of Oklahoma” in the same sentence. JuicyCampus.com — a Web site to which people can post anonymous gossip — is the new undisputed champion of appalling when it comes to surfing the Web. And the man who created it is a commercial genius. But he’s also a jerk.
Can you think of many things more fun than publicly defaming your worst enemies? Can you think of any easier way to do it than by sitting behind the anonymity of a computer screen that doesn’t require you to sign in or post a username? That’s apparently what Matt Ivester, the founder of this thing, figured out in October, 2007.
If you attended high school within the borders of the United States, you’ve figured out by now that people enjoy some good gossip. However, the same gossip that flies down the hallways of fraternity and sorority houses at twice the speed of electricity used to lack the threat of mass publication due to slander and libel laws that our Constitution thankfully contains. uicyCampus.com took care of all that.I have to admit that looking at the site itself and scouring through the OU section is quite interesting. If you were wondering who the easiest girl to pick up at a Campus Corner bar might be, there’s a thread for it. Ever wanted to publicly question the sexuality of an entire fraternity? You can do that too. Or maybe you want to insult an entire race or religion. Regrettably, that’s also fair game. I’m not at all surprised at the Web site’s success, even though it’s been in existence for such a short time.
But I’m disappointed that such useless banter, much of which is likely false or exaggerated, is so powerful a tool in spreading erroneous and derogatory information concerning enemies, ex-girlfriends and the like. The issue here is not that the site’s content is childish, wrong or even salacious in nature. I’d say it’s fairly obvious and agreeable that it is. The problem is that there are some perfectly decent people (and some not so perfectly decent people) who are having their reputations smashed by people who may or may not even know them.
The problem here is that the people who operate this defamation machine are essentially fostering an environment in which intolerance and hatred are the status quo. The sad part is that even with all the public outcry and complaints, I don’t envision the site’s popularity suffering much because of the ease and anonymity it virtually promises visitors. The site will remain popular because gossip sells advertising, which is why people like Jerry Springer and the lovely women from Sex and the City can be wealthy and popular in this country.
I’m certainly not going on a campaign to try to entice people to quit using the site. I’m smart enough to realize that’s not going to happen and that the site’s popularity is likely in its infancy. The only thing my fellow naysayers and I can hope for is that Ivester and company will eventually grow so tiresome of complaints and lawsuit threats that they’ll get rid of the site for good. Until then, the rumor mill continues and the OU greek community’s cyber-battle rages on. But here’s hoping that, as JuicyCampus.com’s grasp on collegiate life continues to grow stronger, so too will the outrage at the consequences it produces. Here’s hoping Ivester and company will have some sort of epiphany that inspires them to rethink their career path.
If not, I’ll just paraphrase a line from a film that starred award-winning actor and noted academic Pauly “the weasel” Shore. Folks, stop wheezing the juice.

Eric Combs is a journalism senior. His column appears every other Tuesday.

Planter through the door - Sept. 22

From the KSU Police Log:



Minor in Possession: Britta Irene Tjaden: 20

Criminal Damage to Property: Dykstra Hall glass door was damaged by a
planter object thrown into the door. Loss is estimated at $300.00



Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6412
785-532-7408(fax)

Public nudity "treated like other crimes" at TT

From the Daily Toreador at TT, this story:

While it is not a common offense, Tech police officers recently have made arrests for disorderly conduct based on a lack of clothing.According to the Texas Penal Code Title 9, chapter 42.01, subsection (a)(2), a person commits a disorderly conduct crime if they make "an offensive gesture or display in a public place, and the gesture or display tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace." The offense is classified as a Class C misdemeanor. Col. Gordon Hoffman, deputy chief of the Tech police department, said although the department does not see many of these violations, they handle them the same way as any other arrest.A non-student was arrested during the Texas Tech vs. Southern Methodist University football game Sept. 13 in the C-2 parking lot, near the Jones AT&T Stadium, for exposing their genitals.On Sept. 9, a non-student was arrested in the 2500 block of Broadway Avenue for public intoxication after he was seen naked in the fountains.Hoffman said the responding officer has discretion on whether to jail the person or give them a warning. The officer will give the person something to cover himself or herself with if available, otherwise the person will go to jail naked.

Bike thefts

From the KSU Police Log email:


Bike theft arrests:

Shari Ann Singleton 20, and Logan Curtis Spangler 21, were arrested and issued a notice to appear for criminal damage to property and theft.
The arrests were a result of a bike theft investigation.



Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6412
785-532-7408(fax)

Marijuana "debate"

From the pages of the Kansan:

You couldn’t smell any marijuana in the crowd Monday night during the “Heads Versus Feds” SUA event, but there were plenty of tie-dyed, 1960s band shirts sprinkled through the crowd of 440 people.
Steve Hager, editor-in-chief of High Times magazine, and Robert Stutman, a retired special agent for the Drug Enforcement Agency of New York City, argued until they were both red in the face about the legalization of marijuana in front of an emotionally charged crowd, but they also inspired a few laughs.
Hager took to the stage first, and he listed five reasons why cannabis should be legalized:
- It is useful for medicinal purposes.
- Hemp is good for the environment.
- Criminalizing marijuana has led to crowded prisons, with 900,000 people arrested for possession each year.

Keeping marijuana on the black market provides dealers and criminals a cut of the $500 billion-a-year industry.

- It’s part of his culture.

“That’s most important to me,” Hager, an Illinois native, said of his affinity for the counterculture of the 1960s. Hager said he first smoked marijuana at 15 and was one of the first in his high school to do so.

Many in the audience were amused when Hager said George Washington was a hemp farmer and that hemp was used for books, ink, lamps and ropes.

“The first American flag was made from hemp,” Hager said.

When Stutman took the microphone, he said that Hager, his friend of seven years, passed off his own beliefs of marijuana as facts.

“Don’t fall for half-truths,” Stutman said.

Stutman fired back at Hager’s hemp statements, saying he didn’t think most Americans cared about the counterculture or about making hemp ropes.

After 25 years in the DEA, Stutman said he had arrested more than 15,000 people on drug charges.

Although Stutman disagreed with the recreational use of marijuana, he said Tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, a substance found in cannabis, could be used for medicinal purposes.

Stutman said only 16 million people in the United States were regular cannabis users.

“You know why?” Stutman asked. “Because it’s not legal.”

Stutman said it should remain illegal because cannabis could lessen depth perception and impair a person’s ability to think and reason logically.

Kelley Rushing, Lawrence junior, said both Stutman and Hager did a reasonable job of presenting both sides of the argument.

“But I came because I believe in marijuana,” Rushing said. “I know you shouldn’t smoke and drive. And while Steve presented a logical and reasonable argument about a harmless drug, Bob made us think and sound like we are blind followers.”

Kristen Lervik, Mulvane freshman, said she did not smoke marijuana but was interested in the event because some of her friends did smoke.

“I don’t look down on people that smoke,” Lervik said. “I have never smoked and never will. It’s a personal choice, and it’s just how I am.”

The event was open to a question-and-answer session after points about the legalization debate were presented.

Many questions involved states’ rights to legalize marijuana, the medicinal uses of marijuana and why the government won’t allow it to be used for both medicinal and recreational purposes.

“I smoke weed. I’ll admit it,” one student said as he stepped up to the microphone.

Another student asked if the DEA confiscated marijuana and then sold it back to the public ­­— a question which incited laughter from Hager and Stutman.

“No, we burn it,” Stutman said.

Although some assume Hager would spend most of April 20 stoned, Hager said he’s usually debating.

“I think there’s a meaningful significance to 4:20 though,” Hager said. “It’s the socially acceptable time to smoke.”

Hager said out of 140 schools, Stutman has won over the crowd with his arguments only twice.

Will Coquillette, Lenexa senior, said both speakers appealed too much to the emotion of the audience.

“I wanted more prudent evidence from both; more concrete facts,” Coquillette said.

Hager said marijuana was part of his religion, and people shouldn’t fear cannabis users.

“We are good people,” Hager said. “We’ve done good things for America, and we’re as American as apple pie and baseball. So, please, can I get a little freedom of religion in America?”

— Edited by Lauren Keith

Sexual predators at State U

This story talks about the presence of sexual predators near U.S. college campuses. From the Fox report:

As college students settle into the fall semester, they may be surprised to learn that their off-campus neighbors may include paroled sex offenders.

Hundreds of communities in almost half the nation's states have banned registered sex offenders from living close to places frequented by children, such as playgrounds and elementary schools. But in most cases, those laws do not include the areas surrounding university campuses — so convicted sex offenders have moved in.

"A convicted sexual felon should not be able to live next door to your college student," said Jamie Ison, an Alabama state representative who sponsored a bill that would include universities under the legal definition of a school.

Some schools, such as the University of Washington, have sought to push sex offenders out of campus neighborhoods without the aid of legislation. The university is one of the first in the nation to begin establishing a buffer zone that would be off-limits to sex offenders.

Gov. Chris Gregoire raised concerns earlier this year with a landlord whose tenants included sex offenders. The landlord then ousted 13 of the 25 parolees living near the U. of Washington's Seattle campus.

But critics say banning convicted sex offenders from living within a certain area only creates different problems.

"Such laws and ordinances do not provide effective community protection, and they threaten offender stability and reintegration into society," said Jack King, the director of public affairs for the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, a group that opposes any residency restrictions on convicted sex offenders.

King said that those laws create an atmosphere where sex offenders trying to stay on the straight and narrow are forced into the street or back into jail for giving false information to police.

"Most sex offenders would rather die outside prison than die in prison," he said.

Washington's Department of Corrections is trying to avoid placing convicts near the Seattle campus. But that effort does not extend to the city's other colleges and universities, including two private four-year schools in areas with more sex offenders than the University of Washington.

"It's a real problem to find them a place to live," said Anne Fiala, a corrections administrator. "People end up living under bridges or in cars. We would prefer they have a roof over their heads."

Sex offenders are finding homes near universities nationwide. In Los Angeles, 60 offenders live within a mile of the University of Southern California. Nine live within a mile of Duke University in Durham, N.C. In Chicago, six can be found within a mile of Northwestern University. There are 93 paroled sex offenders within a two-mile radius of Jacksonville University in Florida .

Some states, like Arkansas, have tried to ban sex offenders from living close to institutions of higher learning. But Ison's bill died on the last day of the legislative session after critics raised doubts about whether there had been any reports of sex crimes instigated by registered sex offenders living near a campus.

A 1990 federal law, the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, requires college security to know if there is a registered sex offender living on campus and, upon request, to inform students and staff where they can find that information.

"They don’t go out and openly publicize that — a lot of the reason for that is so much of the crime that they deal with on campus is student-on-student and with sexual assault," said Alison Kiss, program director for the organization Security on Campus. "Registered sex offenders don’t seem to be the problem."

Still some students insist it's the state's responsibility to protect them.

"I think student safety should be a top priority for all schools," said R.B. Walker, a University of Alabama senior who lobbied for the Arkansas bill. "Anything less is unacceptable."

Sept. 12-15 KSU Police Log - Cases of Note

From the Sept. 12-15 KSU Police Log


Cases of Note:Theft: Fatima Anis 28: Reported a Stolen Bicycle Value $160.00

Criminal Damage to Property: Julie Richerson 20: Reported her 2000Toyota was damaged in Parking Lot D-2. Damaged was a side window anddoor frame. The damage was less then $1,000

Minor in Possession: Jacob Norby 18

Unlawful Hosting of Minors: Jason Collett 21

Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6412
785-532-7408(fax)

Sept 9-10 Police log

Cases of Note:

Theft: Dana Seiler reported art supplies stolen from 222 Willard Hall.


Arrest from September 6th.

Minor in Possession, Obstruction of legal process, unlawful use of a drivers license. Ethan Louis Shalz 18


Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6412
785-532-7408(fax)

An end to Ipods?

From the Daily Breeze in Cali:

Anyone who has visited a college campus recently can testify to just how attached students are to their iPods and cell phones. But in the wake of an attempted attack on an 18-year-old student at El Camino College, students must reassess their personal habits and become more safety conscious.
Police at the Torrance area college issued a campus alert Sunday after a student fought off an attacker in a campus parking structure. The incident took place 6:45 p.m. Friday as the student was walking alone to her car in the Lot F lower parking structure along Redondo Beach Boulevard.
Police said she was grabbed from behind but was able to fight off the assailant, who fled the area. The woman, who was listening to an MP3 player at the time, was not hurt. Campus police should be credited with quickly issuing the alert and getting the information to the media over the weekend.
Over the past year, two other women were sexually assaulted on the campus. Such cases are not easy to solve. The only description of the assailant police released in the most recent case was "unknown sex, race, height or weight possibly wearing gray sweat pants and white Nike shoes hands had the strong odor of a tobacco product."
This week campus police are reminding students to be especially alert and to recognize that the use of iPods and cell phones can distract students when they truly need to be alert to their surroundings. Other good advice is not to walk alone on campus, especially at night. A campus security shuttle now operates from 5:30p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Monday through Friday to help students get around safely. And when in a campus parking structure, don't park next to vans. Their sliding doors can be used to pull crime victims inside. We trust that the safety benefits that were promised to voters when they approved a bond measure for campus improvements in 2002 will begin to pay off. The proceeds of Measure E are allowing the college to move forward with installing video cameras, better lighting maintenance and a system for mass e-mails and text messages during emergencies. Of course, none of those things can guarantee the safety of all students on the campus, where the enrollment exceeds 25,000. That's why students need to continue to exercise caution and report any unusual or suspicious activities to the campus Police Department.

CU police plans - one year after stabbing

From the Campus Press at CU:

CU administration is continuing efforts to address countrywide campus safety concerns.

Security at CU became personal for local students last year when then freshman finance major Michael Knorps was slashed outside of the UMC by a former university employee. The university immediately came under scrutiny by students for their hiring practices. In a statement released last September, CU spokesman Bronson Hilliard said the university had taken steps to prevent hiring potentially dangerous workers again by introducing mandatory background checks for every employee.CU Police Cmdr. Brad Wiesley said the police look at campus safety and continue to work closely with the university in order to evaluate safety concerns on a regular basis."Every time there's a major incident, we look at the incident and try and determine what was done well, and we look at our operation and see if any of that can be applied to us," Wiesley said. "After Virginia Tech, one of the things we focused on was communication with the campus. At the time, [Virginia Tech] used email and Web site updates, the problem being that people were still asleep or not at computers."Wiesley added that the RAVE CU system, a text messaging-based security project that sends alerts to students of possible threats on campus, was installed just one week before the stabbing because of lessons learned at Virginia Tech.The university is also making sure that those who don't carry cell phones will receive warnings as well."We have to use many different means to reach the broadest population," said campus Fire Marshal Mansour Alipour-fard.Newly constructed or renovated buildings, such as the business and law facilities, have been outfitted with numerous speakers. In the event of an emergency, CUPD will be able to broadcast voice messages to a total of 35 buildings from their offices via a console, Alipour-fard said.The university is also considering installing a large outdoor PA system similar to systems used in tornado and flood warnings, as well as an emergency alert broadcast system on the numerous flat-screen monitors located in the UMC and business schools, though neither idea is currently underway.Lauren Shapiro, a sophomore business major, said she was impressed with the university's efforts."I don't really think you can ever be prepared for violence on campus, but I feel better knowing that safety is such a big issue," she said.

Call for assistance

ATTENTION:
The Kansas State University Police Department is looking to speak with two women who may have helped a victim of a sexual assault on September 7, 2008 at about 700 PM in the area of Kerr Drive in the Jardine Apartment Complex. The Kansas State University Police continue to
investigate this case and need information from anyone who may have been in the area during this time with information that may help with the investigation. Those who may have information should call the Kansas State University Police Department at 532-6412 and ask for investigations or can leave tips at www.ksu.edu/police/silent.

Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6412
785-532-7408(fax)

KSU Police Log - Cases of note - Sept. 5-8

From the Sept. 5-8 KSU police log:



Cases of note:
Theft: Andrew Mcgowan reported the theft of a bicycle


Notice to Appear: Minor in Possession: Steven Edward Mendenhall 19

Notice to Appear: Minor in Possession,Obstruction of the legal process:Paul Dominic Prather 19.

Notice to appear Minor in Consumption: Logan S Keck 18



RAPE REPORT: On Saturday September 6, 2008 a rape was reported to the Kansas State University Police Department. The victim stated she was raped by an unknown male while walking in the Northwest part of campus near the Jardine Apartment Complex. The incident occurred at about 7:00 PM. The suspect is described as a white male 6 feet tall and less then
200 pounds. Anyone with any information should contact the Kansas State University Police investigations at 532-6412 or anonymous tips can be left at www.ksu.edu/police/silent


Large Alcohol Seizure: The Kansas State University Police Department seized 669 cans of beer at a large tailgate party where underage drinking was taking place. The Kansas State University Police have been pro-active in the enforcement of underage drinking with assistance from a grant to help combat underage drinking during the football season. (A
photo is attached.)


Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6412
785-532-7408(fax)

Cases of Note

From the Sept. 3-4 KSU Police Log:


Cases of Note:
Parking permit theft. Kelsey Alleninger reported that a parking permit
was stolen from her vehicle parked at her residence of campus.

Damage to Property: The Danforth Chapel glass door was broken causing
close to 500.00 in damage. At this time there are no suspects.

Theft arrest: Officers responded to the Facilites Grounds Building for a
reported theft in progress. Upon officers arrival the suspect fled on
foot and was arrested by officers after a foot pursuit.

Grant Theodore Zoller 24. was arrested and charged with theft and
obstruction of the legal process.


Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6412
785-532-7408(fax)

Search continue for Tech student

How many times do parents ask campus security to do a "welfare check" on their hard- to- reach students?

Here is a story from Texas Tech about a missing older student and the search for clues. From the article:

Park rangers are conducting aerial searches of a Utah wilderness area for a 61-year-old Texas Tech graduate student who has been missing since July.

Michael Leonard Krasnick was last seen on July 29 in Austin and planned to go on a camping trip somewhere in Utah, Arizona or New Mexico before returning to Lubbock, where he moved from Austin earlier in the summer, according to a Tech Police Department incident report.

Strange tale

From the latest KSU Police Report:


On September 2, 2008 at about 8:00 pm the Kansas State University Police responded to the KSU Student Union for a report of drug use in a vehicle occupied by the guest speaker who was scheduled to address Kansas State University students. During the course of the investigation occupants of the vehicle were questioned by officers and released without arrest.

Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University
Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506785-532-6412785-532-7408(fax)

KSU police report: arrests

From the daily email/Police Log from KSU:

Arrests

DUI: Travis John Ternes 20

Disorderly Conduct Arrest: Trent Shelton Lawrence 21


Subjects issued citations for Minors in Possession/Consumption: Tyler
David Becker 20, Sean Taylor Shoemaker 19, Brecklyn Anne Bolan 19,
Samuel Lanahan Denvir 19, Prince Carl Edward 20, Kevin Matthew Dawson
19.


Criminal Damage to Property: Jesse Ray Smith 23

Minor in Possession, obstruction of official duty, and battery to a law
enforcement officer: Luke McIntosh 19


Captain Donald Stubbings
Support Services Commander
Kansas State University Police Department
108 Edwards Hall
Manhattan, KS 66506
785-532-6412
785-532-7408(fax)

Daily Texan - UCrime

From the Daily Texan:


A crime database Web site is allowing students to see where crime is occurring around college campuses on a Google Maps background.

Colin Drane, founder of UCrime.com, said the site offers a geospacial way of displaying campus crime information, which may be easier for students to use than a traditional police blotter. The site, which will double in size within the next two weeks, creates mappings based on crime information provided by campus and surrounding cities' police departments and is updated when this information is received, he said.

The site offers users the ability to search for different types of crime on a campus, including vandalism and thefts. Drane said this information could help students decide where to park or where to look for housing, and could coincide with information provided by emergency awareness programs enacted by universities.

"We are more of a latent alert system," Drane said, adding that a recent attempted kidnapping at the University of Maryland would not be included in the college's emergency awareness program but would be mapped on the UCrime site.

Drane said he hopes the Web site will prompt university police departments around the country to compete in how quickly and often they update the crime information available to students.

University Police Department Chief Robert Dahlstrom said the department has considered mapping crime statistics in the past but was limited by GPS mapping management around campus. He said he supports any way that can make students aware of what happens on campus but is worried that crime in surrounding areas, which is also displayed on the map, may confuse people who are not familiar with the area.

"If you're a parent looking to send your child [to the University], that site could be a little misleading," Dahlstrom said. "At the same time, I'm for being totally open about what's going on."

Dahlstrom said he encourages everyone from the UT community to visit the UTPD Web site and sign up to receive Campus Watch, a daily log of crime information on campus. Students can also sign up for Mobile Campus, which provides updated crime information and warnings to users' cell phones, at https://longhorns.mobilecampus.com/.

UCrime

Check the UCrime.com site and they have K-State on the database now. Good to see UCrime incorporate KSU into their database. Well done. Check it out at www.ucrime.com.

Prof arrest

From the Kansan this morning:

A University professor was arrested and placed on involuntary leave last week.

Thomas A. Schreiber, professor of psychology, was arrested Friday after failing to appear in court for two traffic violations.

Schreiber is scheduled to have his first court appearance this afternoon, but he will be held at the Douglas County Jail until his $375 bond is paid. His next court appearance is Friday.

Greg Simpson, chairman of the psychology department, declined to comment on why Schreiber had been placed on leave or when he would come back.

However, Ernest Smith, a friend of Schreiber’s, said Schreiber told him that his office had been entirely packed up and that a secretary at the department said he would not be coming back any time soon.

Schreiber said the leave was possibly a punishment for keeping his cat, Persephone, in his office at Fraser Hall and for having a disorganized office.

Schreiber said he did not appear at court on the designated day, Aug. 22, because he mistakenly appeared on Aug. 21.

He said it was unlikely he would be able to make bond soon because of financial problems. He said he had put all of his money into his research.

Schreiber contacted The University Daily Kansan on Aug. 13 claiming to have found the treatment for several diseases including Parkinson’s and alcoholism. Schreiber said his findings had not yet been published because the University refused to help him.

After several meetings with the University’s Center for Technology Commercialization, Schreiber said he was given a waiver from the University that would require him to give the University 70 percent of the profit from his research.

Schreiber said he was also turned away from University Relations this summer.

Todd Cohen, director of University Relations, said he was familiar with Schreiber but could not discuss the details of Schreiber’s current situation.

Schreiber was scheduled to give seminars about his research today and Thursday at the Museum of Anthropology, but they have been canceled.

Katherine Leslie contributed to this article.