Brown and White Vol. 117 no. 6

              Student charged with falsely reporting rape by a police officer
By ANDREW DANIELS
A female student in the class of 2012 is fac­ing several charges from Bethlehem and state police, who allege that she falsely reported that she was raped by a Lehigh police officer.
State police charged the student last Friday with false reports to law enforcement authori­ties following original charges from Bethle­hem police on Sept. 3.
According to the court records, Bethlehem police officers found the student, 19, lying in the middle of the roadway of the 600 block of Parkhill Street late in the evening on Sept. 3.
After an officer approached her, the stu­dent proceeded to stand up and stagger in the officer’s direction, visibly under the influence of alcohol.
When the officer began questioning her, the student gave him false information about her identity, including a fake name, date of birth and place of residence, according to court records.
After taking the student into custody for underage drinking, Bethlehem police trans­ported her to her sorority house on Upper Sayre Park Road to verify her identity.
State police were called to the sorority house following a report from the student that she had been raped the night before.
According to the court records, the stu­dent changed her story when recounting it for the state police, telling them that a man
See CHARGES Page 2
n Other charges include false identification, public drunken­ness and underage drinking.
By AUTUMN GOULD
Lehigh’s goal of becoming a more globally aware university just got a little closer after receiving a grant from the state of Pennsylvania that will connect students and alumni with companies around the world.
The $180,000 grant Lehigh received in May from the state’s Department of Community and Economic Develop­ment’s (DCED) Office of International Business Development (OIBD), will be split into four different parts.
The grant is a matched grant, mean­ing for every dollar of the grant Lehigh spends, it has to use that same amount from its own funds.
Vito Gallo, assistant vice president for state relations, said the grant could not have come at a better time for Le­high because of its recent efforts to glo­balize the university.
Mohamed El-Aasser, vice president for international affairs (a new office created last year as part of the universi­ty’s strategic ten-year plan), said global­ization is the main character of the 21st century.
“The whole world is interconnected in health, economy, business, cultural issues and energy,” he said.
Dick Brandt, director of the Iacocca Institute, said the most exciting aspect of the grant for students is the Pennsyl­vania Ambassador Program, where five Lehigh students will be chosen to work for an international company for seven weeks next summer.
Brandt said that most likely, all of the jobs will be in Europe, but he will have the finalized list by October. One company that is definitely participating is in Madrid.
Beth Simmons, manager of the Iacoc­ca Institute, said any current senior or junior can apply, but stresses that this is not a normal internship. “This is a real work experience. They will complete a full work week,” she said.
El-Aasser said his office insisted upon having this program for undergraduate students. “We are looking for more ven­ues for students to go overseas, and the Ambassador’s program gives five more students that opportunity,” he said.
Before departing for Europe, the se­lected students will go to Harrisburg to be trained by members of the DCED. Simmons said part of the Ambassador Program is to have the students research companies in their foreign locations in hopes of bringing those companies to Pennsylvania.
“When the student is there, they will find companies, notice any market trends, and report back to the state,” Simmons said.
When they return to the U.S., the students will present a Business Study Report to members of the DCED in Harrisburg.
“This program helps the students, the university and DCED,” Simmons said.
Although these positions are not paid, the grant will cover housing, food and any in-country travel while the stu­dents are abroad, Simmons said. Airfare
Students to work abroad through Pennsylvania grant
See GRANT Page 6
Vol. 117 No. 6
Friday, September 18, 2009
‘All the Lehigh News First’
THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
SPORTS
Women’s soccer continues streak
Page 16
ONLINE
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www.thebrownandwhite.com
Gambling: hobby or addiction?
Page 7
LIFESTYLE
By ELAINE HARDENSTINE
A female Lehigh student was assaulted Wednesday shortly after midnight in the Whitaker Laboratory parking lot by two other females, ac­cording to police reports.
Two women, Justine Unkle and Marie Jean Gerby, face charges in relation to the inci­dent. Unkle and Gerby are not Lehigh students.
The student was taken to the hospital for treatment of injuries sustained during the attack, according to police.
Shortly after the incident, and due to several eyewitness reports, the attackers were arrested.
Unkle and Gerbig are each charged with aggravated as­sault, criminal conspiracy to commit aggravated assault, simple assault, and harass­ment, disorderly conduct and recklessly endangering anoth­er person, according to police.
They were arraigned in front of District Justice Nancy Matos-Gonzalez and are each being held in Northampton County Prison under $75,000 bail.
Both Bethlehem police and Lehigh police responded to the emergency calls.
B&W photo by DAN COBAR
At “Meet the Greeks” on Tuesday, members of the Multicultural Greek Council hosted an event full of food, dancing and entertainment on the UC front lawn. Look for a full story about the event in next Tuesday’s edition of The Brown and White.
Female student assaulted off campus
Dancing in the streets