2 Uconn Students Arrested After Massive Weekend Off-Campus Party
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THE INDEPENDENT VOICE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT SINCE 1896 • VOLUME CXXVII, NO. 103 • dailycampus.com Wednesday, March 31, 2021 CONFIRMED 2021 COVID-19 Current Residential Cases Cumulative Cumulative Cumulative CASES AT UCONN STORRS (positive/symptomatic) 282 Residential Cases* 293 Commuter Cases* 183 Staff Cases* as of 4:57 p.m. on March. 30 *positive test results 42 UConn soccer player arrested in connection with violent sexual assault by Grace McFadden New York on Monday as a fugitive The initial arrest warrant charged ble for multiple violent assaults over a On Friday, a warrant was issued for STAFF WRITER from justice. Fekri with Assault in the Second De- month-long period. Fekri for two counts of Aggravated [email protected] According to the Tolland State At- gree, Assault in the Third Degree, “The assaults escalated as time Sexual Assault in the First Degree and torney’s offi ce, a female student re- Disorderly Conduct and Unlawful progressed and included pulling of one count of Unlawful Restraint. The University of Connecticut soccer ported an assault which occurred on Restraint in the First Degree. The hair, grabbing the victim from behind bond was set to $500,000. Fekri was player Ziyad Fekri has been arrest- the night of Feb. 13 to the UConn Po- UConn Police Department contin- around the neck, punching her in found at a friend’s residence on Mon- ed by the FBI after being accused of lice Department. Fekri was identifi ed ued an investigation into Fekri in the the face with closed fi sts, cutting the day, and arrested without incident. sexually assaulting a fellow student as the assailant, and a warrant was weeks following his February arrest. victim with a knife and two sexual According to John Ritson, Fekri’s at knifepoint. issued for his arrest. Fekri posted a The investigation, which was sup- assaults at knifepoint,” reads a press attorney, Fekri plans to plead not Fekri, a eigth-semester econom- $75,000 bail and was released from ported by several written statements release from the Tolland State Attor- guilty to the charges. Fekri is next due ics major, was taken into custody in custody. from witnesses, found Fekri responsi- ney’s offi ce. in court April 6. 2 UConn students arrested after massive weekend off-campus party by Taylor Harton A second homeowner, 20-year- NEWS EDITOR old Thomas Bartolotta, was later [email protected] identified as he was providing Two University of Connecticut sober rides to guests and was is- undergraduate students are fac- sued a written infraction for vi- ing charges after chaos erupted olating the governor’s executive at an indoor off-campus party on order. Hunting Lodge Road in Mansfield While the party was being dis- this past weekend. persed, police said 19-year-old State police responded to a Mikaela Puzzo threw a can of noise complaint shortly before alcohol at one of the troopers, midnight at the residence and striking him in the back. The discovered over 100 people at the trooper was not injured. house, most of whom were not Puzzo was later placed under following social distancing or arrest and charged with disor- mask-wearing guidelines, accord- derly conduct and possession of ing to WFSB. alcohol by a minor. She was re- 21-year-old Christian Vitti, who leased on a $1,000 bond. was identified as one of the home- “UConn takes the Governor’s owners, was placed under arrest Executive Order’s provisions and is facing charges for violating very seriously, and expects stu- the governor’s executive orders, dents to do the same to help pro- interfering and permitting mi- tect the health and safety of its Mikaela Puzzo (shown left) and Christian Vitti (shown right) were arrested Saturday. Vitti was identified nors to illegally possess alcohol. campus communities,” the uni- as one of the homeowners at the illegal party while Puzzo threw a can of alcohol at a state trooper. PHOTO He was released on a $1,000 bond. versity said in a press release. COURTESY OF CONNECTICUT STATE POLICE A change in UConn’s drug-enforcement policy may be on the horizon by Alison Cross continue to engage our partners CAMPUS CORRESPONDENT in Residential Life to help support [email protected] their approach to the handling of cannabis within residence halls,” The University of Connecticut Fournier said. “UConn Police are Police Department, Residential interested in examining the issue Life and Undergraduate Student further in the coming months and Government are discussing modi- will continue towards a sensible fi cations to the university’s canna- approach, especially in light of bis-enforcement policy, according proposed changes to state law. Ad- to USG and UCPD representatives. ditionally, we continually examine The new proposal would limit the best way to serve the commu- UCPD’s interaction with students nity and balance our services with suspected of possessing cannabis students and their needs.” in residence halls according to USG University Spokesperson Steph- legislators. anie Reitz said that UConn sup- In a 16-3-2 vote last week, the USG ports Fournier’s comments on Senate passed new legislation titled UCPD’s approach. Reitz said that “Cannabis Enforcement by Resi- the current cannabis-policy abides dential Life and the UConn Police by the law and the Student Code of Department,” which opposed the Conduct. current policy that requires Res- “UConn asks its RAs to report ident Assistants to call the police possible marijuana use because it when they suspect cannabis use. is a violation of current state and Emergency vehicles waiting to be dispatched line the outside of the UConn Department of Public Safety’s The new legislation instead favors federal law, and because students main location off of North Eagleville Road. UCPD has been working with USG and Residential Life to discuss a reduced police presence similar to agree in their housing contract to modifications to cannabis-enforcement policy. FILE PHOTO/ THE DAILY CAMPUS how residential life handles alcohol follow the Student Code of Con- violations. duct, which prohibits possession port, talks on policy revisions will there will still be repercussions. especially for students of color who “UCPD should not be called to and use of illegal drugs,” Reitz said. continue between USG, UCPD We’re not trying to change that,” fear violent interactions with the or enter student residences where Resident Assistant Willow Yang, and Residential Life. Vice Pres- Werstler said. police. He said this is an opportu- the danger of imminent harm is not a fourth-semester fi nance and Chi- ident-Elect Ethan Werstler, a President-Elect Mason Holland, nity for students to collaborate with present,” the legislation read. “USG nese double major, said that she sixth-semester political science a fourth-semester political science the UCPD to create a cannabis en- calls on the UConn Police Depart- supports USG’s proposed policy and communications double ma- major and bill co-author, said that forcement policy that is equitable, ment and the Department of Resi- change. jor and co-author of the USG can- he was caught with cannabis his safe and eff ective. dential Life to work in collaboration “Generally, I agree with hav- nabis bill, said that proposals in- freshman year. “The goal of this legislation is to with students to design a cannabis ing less police involvement,” Yang clude creating drop boxes where “I saw very quickly the discrep- open the door for more meaningful enforcement policy that minimizes said. “[We] call the police, wait for students can deposit cannabis and ancy in how alcohol and marijua- ways in which Residential Life and the involvement of UCPD in areas them to show up then 99% of the other substances. na are dealt with, I was with two the Public Safety sector of UConn under the jurisdiction of Residen- time they can’t locate a [cannabis] A few senators opposed the bill, of my friends and when the police can deal with cannabis and make tial Life.” source, and they have to walk away. including current USG President were called there ended up be- sure that it is safe,” Holland said. UCPD Deputy Chief Andrew It seems like a waste of time and Michael Hernandez, a sixth-se- ing six police offi cers in the dorm “To be clear, we are not saying that Fournier said the department had energy on both the RA and the po- mester political science and eco- room, they ended up bringing a we believe every student should several conversations with Resi- lice.” nomics double major, citing safety dog, and there were about three to smoke, we are not saying UConn dential Life and UConn students The Daily Campus contacted Ex- and legal concerns. four RAs in the hallway,” Holland should legalize [cannabis], all we about changes to cannabis enforce- ecutive Director of Residential Life “We’re not talking about legal- said. are saying is we believe that UConn ment. Pamela Schipani for an interview ization, we’re not talking about Holland and other USG mem- should not send police offi cers to “While no policy changes have but Schipani declined. decriminalization. Say I get caught bers said that such interactions deal with nonviolent cases in which been put into eff ect, we will also With the new USG Senate sup- with cannabis in my dorm room, with police are anxiety-inducing, students are using cannabis.” For more... dailycampus.com The_DailyCampus The_DailyCampus The Daily Campus Tweet of the Day nope SPEAK NOW| PAGE 4 DIVERSITY | PAGE 5 BASEBALL | PAGE 12 @LilNasX Diversity in Economics: Breaking down the model Baseball: Huskies faced Boston i’m gay yall minority myth Perspective and Advice from University faculty 02 Wednesday, March 31, 2021 • DailyCampus.com News UConn responds to recent anti-Semitic incidents at Storrs campus by Amanda Kilyk UConn Hillel also noted that they In its email, UConn highlighted tim of a crime to reach out to the UCo- pus,” UConn Hillel posted on their ASSOCIATE NEWS EDITOR have been in contact with the Offi ce that hate speech or anything of the nn police department (UCPD).