Anthrax Causes Howard University To Close Mail Facilities
By Jennifer Cummings Hilltop (Howard U.)
(U-WIRE) WASHINGTON – Howard University closed eight mail facilities Monday after traces of anthrax spores were found at its main mailroom over the weekend.
The mailroom is the first non-governmental facility to test positive for anthrax after receiving contaminated mail from the District’s Brentwood postal facility.
A sorting machine from the mailroom, located on the Administration building’s bottom level, tested positive for anthrax. It was the only sample out of 54 to yield positive test results.
Mail sorting facilities in Meridian Hill Hall, Howard Plaza Towers, Carver Hall, Slowe Hall in addition to facilities at the divinity and law schools were also closed, but later reopened after testing finished. However, the main mailroom was closed at Wednesday’s press time. It will remain closed until testing is complete, officials said.
Students were surprised the potentially deadly bacteria hit so close to campus, despite the discovery of anthrax in 11 congressional offices this week.
“This is kind of unsettling that anthrax just keeps popping up all over the place and no one knows about it until someone finds it,” said freshman history major Anthony Gisby.
The Brentwood facility is the likely source of the spores, university officials said. Four postal workers contracted anthrax after a letter mailed to Senator Tom Daschle’s Capitol Hill office containing anthrax spores was processed at the facility. Two of the workers died weeks ago and a third remains hospitalized.
Many students questioned the length of time the spores have lived in the mailroom.
“It’s almost been a month since the people got it at the [Brentwood] post office here in D.C. and they are just figuring out that it may be here,” said sophomore English major Candice Roberts. “I don’t feel very safe.”
University spokeswoman Donna Brock said the testing would not greatly alter normal functions at the Howard.
“We don’t see this as a big disruption,” Brock said in reports. “We aren’t closing the university.”
However, some students believe that the problem is larger than university officials wish to disclose.
“How can they assure us that our mail didn’t touch some mail with anthrax on it?” asked freshman biology major Winston Jamison. “They won’t because they can’t.”
The anthrax presence at Howard is one of several local contamination cases. Last week, Capitol Hill Senate and House offices tested positive for anthrax spores. Over the weekend, anthrax spores were found in the offices of at least 11 senators with offices in the Hart Senate Office building and in the Longworth House Office Building office of a Maryland representative.
UC-San Diego Camera Removed After Privacy Concerns
By Geoff Dietrich The Guardian (U. California-San Diego)
(U-WIRE) LA JOLLA, Calif. – An innovative camera that broadcast high-quality images of a University of California-San Diego construction site over the Internet has been taken offline amid concerns that it could allow users to peer into the windows of campus apartments.
Anyone with Internet access could go to a page within the Jacobs School of Engineering’s Web site and control the camera using buttons on the page. The camera was intended to promote the construction of the new California Institute for Telecommunications and Information Technology building – also known as Cal-(IT)2 – located east of the current main engineering building.
The camera was quickly taken offline last week after members of Warren administration notified the camera’s owners of its unforeseen capabilities.
“When we realized there were privacy concerns, we took the camera offline,” said Greg Hidley, director of engineering computing at the Jacobs School and head of technology infrastructure for Cal-(IT)2.
The Warren college administration asked the camera operators to adjust the viewing capabilities of the camera to protect students’ privacy.
Hidley said the camera had to be taken completely offline because an adjustment “does not seem to be an option.”
“[The Web site] was not completed but unfortunately its availability reached the public before we could take other measures to protect access and provide additional controls to limit its use on the building site,” Hidley said.
Some residents whose apartments are located within the camera’s range are concerned that the camera may allow others to invade their privacy via the Internet.
“I believe that the camera is an invasion into an area where most people expect to have privacy,” said Jesse Coward, chair of the Warren College Council.
Jason Boyer, a Warren sophomore, also lives in an apartment within viewing range of the camera.
“I don’t really take offense to this because I doubt someone set up the camera to look specifically into the apartments,” Boyer said. “I guess you could say it was a case of good intentions.”
The future of the camera is unclear due to the concern for privacy.
Some students expressed mixed feelings regarding the camera and its innovative interactive technology and ability to broadcast live images of their apartments over the World Wide Web.
Baptist Church Officially Severs Ties with Wake Forest University
By Elizabeth Bland Old Gold and Black (Wake Forest U.)
(U-WIRE) WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – Baptists from across the state of North Carolina voted Nov. 13 at the Lawrence Joel Veterans emorial Coliseum to break nearly all formal ties with Wake Forest University – a move that President Thomas K. Hearn Jr. considers mostly inconsequential.
The Baptist State Convention, composed of 1.2 million members, will now recognize the university as an “historical educational institution” rather than an affiliated institution. The resolution also applies to Meredith College, an all-female institution in Raleigh, N.C.
The new classification results in the university’s removal as a nonvoting member of the Council on Christian Higher Education and the school will not be promoted as a Baptist-recognized university, but scholarship money – in the form of the Poteat Scholars program – still will be allocated. The Poteat scholarships are available to North Carolina resident students who are Baptists.
The Rev. Nathan Parrish, a pastor at Unity Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, N.C., disagreed with the resolution to cut ties with the university.
“I spoke against the motion because I felt like it was just one more step in the process of removing Wake Forest from Baptist life, and I think that’s regrettable for both sides,” he said. “I’m disappointed that neither side seems to be particularly all that concerned.”
According to Hearn, the loss of membership on the Council on Christian Higher Education will not change much. He said the university gave up voting privileges in the 1980s; thus the removal now is essentially insignificant in terms of voting practices.
“For the Baptists it’s pretty terrible,” Hearn said. “[It is] something more disadvantageous for themselves rather than for us.”
Some conservative delegates attribute the break to a same-sex commitment ceremony performed in Wait Chapel in 2000 and to alcohol being served on campus at Shorty’s.
The Rev. Jack Homesley, a pastor at Christ Community Church in Huntersville, N.C., explained in a Winston-Salem Journal article the convention made a wise choice in breaking from the university.
“We have not left Wake Forest,” he said. “[It] has left us.”
Fluency in Arabic A Valuable Asset
By Sara Plummer Daily O’Collegian (Oklahoma State U.)
(U-WIRE) STILLWATER, Okla. – Elaborate spy gadgets or even B-2 Stealth Bombers that might bring the war on terrorism to an end. It all could depend on recent college graduates who earned foreign language degrees.
Having a degree in Arabic language, international relations or regional studies – not being the next James Bond – is what the CIA and FBI are looking for in its new employees.
According to a report released by the House Intelligence Committee, translators are going to play a vital role in the effort to end terrorism.
“There is a great need to increase the number of translators available to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in order to assist the war on terrorism,” the report said.
According to the CIA’s Web site, the agency is looking for people who can read and translate Arabic, Dari and Pashto into English and who have a native or near-native level of fluency. The positions are available in Washington and surrounding areas.
Ohio State University students may not be able to take advantage of this new employment need. OSU currently does not offer Arabic as a foreign language, and Perry Gethner, head of the foreign language department, said there are two main reasons: not enough student demand and lack of money available to start the program.
Salah Werfalli, mechanical engineering technology senior, said he thinks schools such as Georgetown University offer Arabic courses because they have accompanying majors and degrees.
Slow Economy Causes Increase in Number of Graduate School Applications
By Caroline Dube Daily Pennsylvanian (U. Pennsylvania)
(U-WIRE) PHILADELPHIA – Although graduates in recent years have enjoyed attractive job opportunities, leading them to put off pursuing graduate or professional degrees, figures for this year may tell a different story.
With an uncertain job market and unemployment rates reaching 5.4 percent nationwide last month, more students may be aiming for graduate and professional schools next fall than in any time in recent memory.
Last spring the number of students taking the LSAT, an exam required for law school applications, jumped by 18.6 percent nationwide. While admissions officers were initially uncertain if the rise in test-takers would directly translate into a larger applicant pool, University of Pennsylvania’s Law School has seen a 70 percent jump in applicants since then, according to Assistant Dean of admissions and financial aid Janice Austin.
“That is incredibly extraordinary,” she said. “I wouldn’t have imagined we’d be in this position if you’d asked me a year ago.”
Business schools also may be enjoying a similar rise in popularity this year, as 14 percent more people nationwide took the GMAT. Enrollment in Kaplan’s test preparation courses are up 20 percent nationally and 70 percent in high tech hubs, according to The Los Angeles Times.
However, admissions officers at the Wharton School say it may be too early to tell if there will be any increase just yet. In years past, admissions to the MBA program were handled on a rolling basis, but this year applicants have three possible deadlines, the earliest of which just got pushed up to November 20.
“It’s very difficult to say anything this year because we’ve just started the process,” Director of Wharton MBA admissions and financial aid Rosemaria Martinelli said. “There is some evidence we may see an increase, but we also haven’t seen times like these.”
She noted the impact the Sept. 11 attacks may have on foreign students applying for visas.
Last year admissions at Wharton remained steady, despite the economic downturn and dot-com bust. Applications were up four percent at the Law School, which Austin speculated may have been part of a regional trend.
“Philadelphia has done a number of things to turn its image into something more positive, more attractive to graduate students,” she said, adding that since the terrorist attacks, those questioning living in New York or Washington may instead be drawn to places like Philadelphia.
Though Austin said she expects in the next few years students will continue to see law school as an attractive option, she acknowledges application numbers are not the sole indicator of any school’s strength.
“It’s nice to feel wanted, but I’ve been in this business long enough to know that things ebb and flow and when they’re going good, you enjoy the ride,” Austin said.
“If you’re doing your job well in admissions, you’re getting the right kind of information out for people to find out if that school is right for them,” she said. “I don’t want more applications just for numbers; I want very competitive applications.”
Students Explore Options For Thanksgiving Travel
By Sue Ryan Oregon Daily Emerald (U. Oregon)
(U-WIRE) EUGENE, Ore. – University students wanting to fly home over winter break may be out of luck if they have not already purchased tickets, with airlines having decreased flights since the Sept. 11 attacks.
“In the matter of folks traveling by air, keep in mind that the holidays were booked even before Sept. 11, and now you have 20 percent less flights,” said Gail Norris, owner of Eugene, Ore., travel agency Adventure in Travel.
Norris said even though many airlines have recently been offering low fares to increase business, the promotion doesn’t mean there will be any more seats available to sell.
Most international students don’t have the option of taking the bus or driving instead of flying home for the break. Some have chosen to stay in Eugene over the holiday period.
“I have heard some discussion among students over whether to go or not,” said Gabriela Serrano, public relations director for the International Student Association.
While neither Amtrak nor Greyhound examine passenger baggage, the train service has increased security by placing more police officers at stations and on trains, said Sarah Swain, public information director for Amtrak.
“Riders also need to know that to purchase a ticket and to board the train they must have a valid photo ID,” she said. “The company is also having aerial monitoring done of its train tracks.”
Swain said university IDs are a valid form of ID for buying tickets on Amtrak, but if students ride the trains into Canada, they must carry additional identification.
Greyhound is testing some security measures at 30 of its stations, although none are on the West Coast.
“The tests include checking people’s photo IDs and wanding – which are handheld electronic scans of people” to search for weapons, Greyhound spokeswoman Jamelle Braunsfield said.
Amtrak will add some cars to their trains for holiday travel, specifically over Thanksgiving.
“That is our biggest holiday, ridership-wise, and the plan does show more cars being added in the Pacific Northwest corridor,” Swain said.
Racism Prevalent on Boston-Area Campuses Recently
By Jessica Stone The Daily Free Press (Boston U.)
(U-WIRE) BOSTON – Racial sensitivity is a major concern on college campuses today, students said Thursday at the opening of a two-day conference at Northeastern University on race relations.
The conference is being held to address the challenges in creating racial harmony on college campuses, with an emphasis on increased discrimination against Muslims since Sept. 11.
In a panel Thursday night run by and attended exclusively by students, participants from several area colleges discussed their experiences with racism and potential ways to improve relations.
Panel moderator Eric Esteves, a Northeastern senior, said the avoidance of self-segregation would improve race relations.
“More collaborations between different groups would help,” he said. “A lot of groups don’t attend each other’s meetings.”
Students said there are many occasions when a student is the only minority in a particular classroom, often leading to unnecessary tension.
“You become the token minority,” said Kendra Quincy Kemp, a Dartmouth College senior. “People look at that one person who can represent that group.”
Northeastern sophomore Hasan Mamun, a Muslim, experienced a similar situation in class following the Sept. 11 attacks.
“I was put on the spot as a representative of my country,” he said. “I was just one of the students in the class. I didn’t even know enough to comment.”
Students said racial sensitivity is a familiar concern on campuses due to an increase in political correctness.
“The campus safety officer will be more sensitive to the black student because they don’t want to be called racist,” said Andrew Musoke, a Connecticut College sophomore.
Aside from race relations, the issue of recruiting minority students provoked a long discussion. Ashika Jain, a senior at Brandeis University who heads the college’s Intercultural Club, said there is a lack of diversity at Brandeis.
Harvard Class of 2006 Will Be Notified by E-Mail
By Eugenia V. Levenson & Jeslyn A. Miller Harvard Crimson (Harvard U.)
(U-WIRE) CAMBRIDGE, Mass. – Following the lead of Dartmouth College and Yale University, Harvard University will offer online admissions notification to class of 2006 hopefuls.
The faster method of notification, which will come online in December, relies on a recently completed $1 million data system, admissions Director Marilyn McGrath Lewis said.
“Everyone deserves to get this [news] as quickly as we are confident that we are able to get it to them securely,” cGrath Lewis said. “This year, it’s electronically.”
The text of the e-mail message will will convey acceptance, deferral or rejection in the manner of letters sent in previous years.
“It now seems quite normal, and just as cordial, I hope, as though you’re sending [the admissions decisions] in regular mail,” McGrath Lewis said.
She estimated 93 percent of the applications already received this year include candidates’ E-mail addresses, although neither admissions office officials nor applicants were aware that notification via E-mail would be an option.
In past years the admissions office has relied on E-mail to communicate with international applicants in areas where mail service was unreliable.
Since prospective students were not asked about the privacy or security of their E-mail accounts, the admissions office will contact all candidates in the coming weeks to offer them the chance to provide secure E-mail addresses.
“We’re fanatically concerned about security and privacy, as we always have been,” McGrath Lewis said.
A technical team advising the admissions office recommended sending decisions via E-mail rather than posting them on a secure Web site. Yale and Dartmouth plan to post their decisions on Web sites later this year.
Admissions decisions will be E-mailed as soon as they are available to those who select the service.
Recent disruptions in national mail service caused by concerns about anthrax have highlighted the benefits of electronic notification, McGrath Lewis said.
“Right now, we have no evidence that our mail has been affected,” she said, but she noted E-mail provides an effective alternative to the U.S. mail.
The efficiency of E-mail won praise from some.
“It’s a great idea. E-mail is more convenient. You’ll know faster and won’t have to keep worrying,” Elizabeth C. Hamrick said.
Others said they felt E-mail was too informal.
“After you spend so much time on the application, it’s nice to get a letter,” Lauren E. Bonner said.
