JONES SPEAKS out to MEDIA President Addresses Controversies Over CDTA Incident
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CELEBRATING 100 YEARS 1916—2016 Punks Who lost and invade who won in Madison lacrosse Theater this week for a great PAGE 10 concert PAGE 6 ALBANY STUDENT PRESS TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 ISSUE 18 ALBANYSTUDENTPRESS.NET CAMPUS NEWS JONES SPEAKS OUT TO MEDIA President addresses controversies over CDTA incident By CONNOR MURPHY newly named defendants Ariel Agudio and Alexis Briggs, had claimed in their Amidst controversy surrounding the Jan. 30 report that they were the victims three University at Albany students set of a racially-motivated assault. to go to trial for filing a false incident “I feel compassion for anyone who report among other charges, university feels they are victims of the events that President Robert J. Jones held a media occurred over the past few weeks,” Jones roundtable in his personal office on said. Feb. 26. The afternoon dialogue was One major contention in the set to address some of the President’s conversation was Jones’s Jan. 30 letter remarks in open letters and videos to the to the student body, in which he wrote, student body over a weeks-long police “Early this morning, three of our students investigation into the original reports. were harassed and assaulted while riding “The events of the last several weeks on a CDTA bus on Western Ave. in have been very unsettling not only Albany.” for this university but for the entire Jones’s specific wording was community,” Jones said. criticized in an open letter by Jeffrey The media event came a day removed Rosenheck, in which the UAlbany senior from a new twist in the assault case, in student wrote to the President, “To me, which investigators said the original this is not a racial problem. This is not incident report filed by UAlbany student a gender problem. This is not a black Asha Burwell was in contradiction with versus white, or male versus female, or video evidence taken from the university student versus student problem. This is Jonathan Peters / Albany Student Press shuttle bus. Burwell, along with the Pres. Robert J. Jones met with members of the media at University Hall to discuss the recent Please see JONES page 8 incident surrounding allegations of assault on a CDTA bus. PHOTOGRAPHY Alvin He / Albany Student Press Lights around UAlbany’s campus at night Staff photographer Alvin He took photos at night around campus, using the lights from the Podium and the fountain. Use the QR code to see a slideshow with more shots he took. CAPITOL NEWS Young activists rally to “ban the box” on applications By STEFAN LEMBO-STOLBA Capitol. Senate Bill S969, sponsored by Sen. Velmanette chapter member at the University of Albany. Lipton Montgomery, would amend the current correction and explained that felons participate in society with everyone A group of young activists held a “lobby day” in executive laws and if passed would legally ban criminal else and offering them unobstructed access to education Albany’s Capitol building last Monday to ask politicians history questions from appearing on college admissions not only affects the individual, but also benefits society to support a Senate bill that would remove questions applications. as a whole. about criminal history from college applications. The activists were resolute in their assertion that In a meeting with Maureen Centrino, chief of staff Two-dozen members of Students for Sensible Drug education is a “common sense” means of reducing for Sen. Neil Breslin, the student lobbyists explained Policy (SSDP), an international grassroots organization, recidivism. that citizens with prior criminal histories are in most came together from different universities throughout “Writing off a potentially beneficial student because New York, hosting over 10 meetings throughout the of their past is draconian,” said Emily Lipton, an SSDP Please see ACTIVISM page 8 PRINTED BY THE TIMES UNION, ALBANY, NEW YORK — A HEARST CORPORATION NEWSPAPER EDITOR: KASSIE PARISI TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2016 2 [email protected] NEWS ALBANY STUDENT PRESS CRIME WRITERS INSTITUTE WEAPONS ON CAMPUS Reporter discusses book By NICK MUSCAVAGE friend to the ground, and stole her sis- on campus sexual assault ter’s iPhone. The hydrangeas laid strewn On Aug. 30, 2013, Alana Urcia, along throughout the street. Urcia remembers with her sister and friend, took a walk feeling “absolutely fucking terrified,” and through Washington Park to pick hydran- two weeks later the three girls all purchased geas before the flower would be out of pepper spray for self-defense. season. The exact number of students at UAlbany A junior at the University at Albany, it who own weapons for self-defense purposes was Urcia’s second year living downtown is difficult to pin, but according to data off the main campus and her first year liv- collected by the University Police Depart- ing in an apartment. She grew up in New ment between 2010 and 2015, there were York City and never felt unsafe, but her 32 students arrested on campus for having perception changed when she was attacked a weapon. Only seven of them were booked by eight teens that night. as intent to use. They came from the other end of the During the same time, UPD reported an- park. Two of them were on bikes and rode other 26 cases of students found with weap- Connor Murphy / Albany Student Press ahead of the other six to harass and get ons that did not lead to arrests. Although Jon Krakauer gave a reading at Page Hall at the Downtown Campus. His book closer to Urcia, her sister and friend - who case specifics are not listed in the data, “Missoula” investigates the issue of sexual assault at colleges. was still clutching onto the freshly picked according to the penal codes the weapons hydrangeas. found were either knives, razors, stilettos, By BRITTANY HORTON Indeed, it is a huge problem. The “That’s when we realized something was throwing stars, blunt objects or imitation Department of Justice estimated in December up,” she said. Urcia’s group tried to ignore firearms, such as pellet guns. Best-selling nonfiction author Jon 2014 that 110,000 women between the ages the eight teens, but they persisted, and the “The vast majority of firearms are airsoft, Krakauer hosted a discussion of his new of 18 and 24 are raped each year. harassment escalated into an attack. The book, “Missoula: Rape and the Justice CNN reported that after surveying more WEAPONS teens punched Urcia in the face, threw her Please see page 3 System in a College Town,” at Page Hall on than 150,000 college students in 2015 about Tuesday, Feb. 23. sexual assault, 23 percent experienced some You may recognize his name from his kind of unwanted sexual attention during bestseller “Into the Wild” or “Into Thin their college years. During the four years that Air.” His newest book explores the ongoing Krakauer researched for this book, there were CAMPUS SERVICES problem of sexual assault on college 250 reports of rape in Missoula County. campuses. “I don’t mean to single out Missoula,” The book investigates a series of rape Krakauer said. “The rape rate is a little less cases that occurred in Missoula, Montana than the national average. I think its problems over a four-year period, focusing primarily with dealing with rape are pretty depressingly on the victims and deficiencies of the typical.” Things are looking up: justice system. Much of the book spotlights Much of the book details the difficulty the mishandling of these cases and draws of rape cases: There is a strong “he said-she attention to the way these women are treated said” factor that makes the trials drag on. by police, defense attorneys and the public “It’s not too different from other crimes,” More jobs in the future after reporting the sexual assault. It concludes Krakauer said. “The difference is in other that reporting rape is still a risky move for crimes, the victim isn’t assumed to be lying.” women. Krakauer, known for his obsessive The backlash from the book made the nature in investigative journalism, follows University of Montana reexamine its code these cases from beginning to end throughout regarding sexual contact without consent. Its the duration of “Missoula.” drop in enrollment is speculated to be directly Krakauer explained he was personally connected to their handling of sexual assault involved with the topic after hearing that a cases and the media attention derived from close family friend was sexually assaulted in “Missoula.” Hopefully, this causes other college. universities to reexamine their code of ethics “It’s a huge problem, the problem of and the politics behind coming forward after sexual assault,” Krakauer said. “No one is sexual assault. paying attention to it except for the women. I If you have been sexually assaulted and was so ashamed that I was so ignorant of the need support, please contact the Advocacy problem. I was angry with myself so I set out Center for Sexual Violence located in the to learn more about the subject and that really basement of Indian Quad. was the genesis of this book.” Source: UAlbany Career Services Facebook FROM THE ARCHIVES Students gather in SEFCU Arena, where most job and internship fairs are held. By LINDSEY RIBACK students ‘How do I market myself and THE ASP TURNS 100 THIS YEAR. what audience am I marketing myself Hiring is on the rise and the University to?’” Simon said. at Albany’s Office of Career and Having this vast array of potential Professional Development is working to job opportunities at one time can be prepare students for employment both overwhelming for students, especially during their time at the university and if they are inadequately prepared for afterward.