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Show Campus crime low at Westminster Clery Act aims to keep students safe KRISTA SMITH Staff Writer On April 5, 1986 Jeanne Clery was tortured, raped and killed in her dorm room at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pa. Clerys killer had entered the building through a door that shouldve been locked, but was propped open. In the four months prior to Clerys murder the door had been reported propped open 181 times. Campus security had also failed to tell students about any violent crimes committed on campus in the past few years. Justice for Jeanne Clery Lehigh University insisted the campus was safe to Clerys parents during and after the 1986 investigation. The Clerys sued the university for negligent failure of security and failure to warn of foreseeable danger on campus. In the settlement, Lehigh agreed to improve campus security. The Clerys campaigned for federal legislation requiring colleges and universities to inform students about campus crime. The Crime Awareness and Campus Security Act was passed in 1990. It was renamed the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, better known as the Clery Act. For most college students, the Clery Act only affects their email. Each time a crime is committed on campus, campus security sends out an email to inform students. Any college whether its private or public has to report crime statistics, said Director of Campus Patrol Drew Long. The act also requires campus security to keep a log of all crimes committed on campus and to distribute and annual report of crime statistics by Oct. 15. At Westminster, criminal activity is reported on a bulletin board in Bamberger Hall and listed in the student handbook, according to Long. Consequences of Virginia Tech After the April 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech the Clery Act was amended to require schools to publicize their emergency response plans. The amendments were signed into law in August 2008. The amendments also call for schools to have emergency response and notification measures. Most schools take a multi-lay- er approach using text messages, phone calls, email and a public address system to alert the student body of any danger they are in. Were working on it right now, said Long. Our main thing is immediate notification. Right now Westminster has a team of building guardians who are notified first. The guardians are then responsible for notifying people in the building. Its like a phone tree, said Long. The college is in the process of purchasing a text message service, which students would sign up for to receive a text in case of emergency. Crime On and Off Campus The Clery Act only requires campus security to warn students of incidents on campus. In September 2008 wrote an students at the University of Nevada-Ren- o editorial arguing the Clery Act is not enough to protect students. A shooting took place just one block from campus, yet students had no idea. The editor of Nevada Continued on page 14 Homeownership in college Westminster students balance classes, house payments E ANNE HOWELL 3 StaffWriter In todays market, how can college students afford to buy a home? Students at Westminster own homes from Park City and downtown Salt Lake City, to Sandy. Chris Castelli Chris Castelli, finance major, bought his home downtown in Feb. 2007. I worked full time, took 17 credits, and had an internship, said Castelli. It was better to put my money into something I own, rather than paying rent, he said. Castelli purchased his home with a 5 percent down ar fixed rate with the option to payment and a pay interest for only the first 15 years. Castelli and two roommates split the rent each month and pay only on the interest. I dont plan on staying here forever. There is no real sense in paying more than I have to, said Castelli. He said he plans on selling the home in the next few 30-ye- Chris Castelli stands in front of the house he purchased in 2007. Julie Erwin years. Castelli wishes he would have waited to buy a home in the current market. Right now rates are lower, prices are lower, but it is harder to get approved. VOLUME XLII: ISSUE 15 Julie Erwin, communication major, bought her home in July 2007 with her boyfriend. They had no down payment and took out two mortgages. 2 The money we would have used to get married, we used on a house, said Erwin. Its the sacrifice we made. Erwin works 35 hours a week and her boyfriend works full-tiso that they can afford both their home me Continued on page 14 |