Brown and White Vol. 119 no. 23

              Vol. 119 No. 23
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
‘All the Lehigh News First’
THE BROWN AND WHITE
Lehigh University’s Student Newspaper Founded in 1894
Three robbed off campus by same two suspects
By ANNAMARIA ANSELMO
Three students were allegedly robbed while walking off-campus by the two same men on three different occasions Thursday night, Bethlehem police said.
The robberies occurred around Packer and Montclair avenues around 9 p.m.
According to The Express Times, one of men was carrying what seemed to be a black semi-auto­matic handgun.
The men have been described as two thin black men in their 20s who were wearing black sweatshirts and using their hoods to camouflage their faces.
None of the students was injured, but all three were robbed of cash, cell phones and their Lehigh identification cards.
According to Bethlehem police, the two men first approached a 20-year-old male undergradu­ate student near the 300 block of West Packer Avenue. Holding him at gunpoint, the two men took the student’s cell phone, Lehigh identifica­tion card and money.
Five minutes later, the two men allegedly robbed a 22-year-old female graduate student near the same location, police said. They again stole the woman’s money, cell phone and Lehigh identification card.
Police said the men targeted another student minutes after the second incident. Near the 400 block of Birkel Avenue, the men allegedly robbed a 21-year-old male undergraduate student. Police said the men held a gun to the student’s head as they demanded $20 and his Lehigh identification card.
n Two men allegedly approached three Lehigh students, stealing mon­ey, phones and identification cards
Student’s parents fund project to enhance safety
By KIRK GREENWOOD
Thanks to recent technological and institutional enhancements made pos­sible through funding from the Burrows family of St. Louis, Mo., Lehigh’s cam­pus is more secure than before.
The story of how these security en­hancements came to be implemented is really the story of intersecting interests between the Burrows family and the Le­high administration.
In response to a series of serious in­cidents that occurred during the fall of 2009, Vice Provost for Student Affairs John Smeaton and Chief of Lehigh Po­lice Edward Shupp decided to institute a new community policing program. Smeaton and Shupp had long been pub­lishing safety bulletins to inform students about ongoing threats and remind them to take proper safety precautions on and off campus.
“Overall there is no higher prior­ity than the health and safety of our students,” Smeaton said. “Promoting a healthy, safe environment is a shared re­sponsibility between the administration, students and wider community.”
One-third of Lehigh’s student body lives off campus, mostly within a three-to- four block residential ring that ex­tends into the South Side, Smeaton said.
As part of the community policing program, Lehigh officers patrol South Side areas inhabited by Lehigh students and often remind students to close windows and doors and exercise other forms of good judgment.
“They’re there to be a visible pres­ence and to be helpful to students,” Smeaton said. “It’s very much proactive, and the feedback we’ve gotten has been very, very good.”
Smeaton also said the community po­licing program has fostered a close work­ing relationship between Lehigh police and Bethlehem police, since high and Bethlehem officers are both responsible
See SECURITY Page 4
SPORTS
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LIFESTYLE
By ASHLEY SKIBICKI
The Siena Research Institute released its second Annual Special State of Pennsylvania Survey on Nov. 17: The Economy and Personal Finances.
Today, 53 percent of Pennsylvania residents be­lieve the economy, in general, is going to improve, and 54 percent think their own personal financial situ­ation will get better over the next year, according to the survey.
“These [survey] responses seem consistent with the general view that the economy is slowly recovering from the ‘Great Recession’ and, while we might wish for a bit faster pace, things seem to be getting a little better,” said economics professor Thomas Hyclak.
In comparing the data of the 2009 and 2010 sur­veys, not much has significantly changed.
According to the SRI release, the cost of food is now a financial hardship for 70 percent, which decreased slightly from 71 percent a year ago. Gas prices seriously impact 65 percent, which is up from 59 percent in 2009.
“Food and fuel prices have been on the rise lately due to very fast growth in China and India and, in the case of food, adverse weather conditions,” Hyclak said. “So, it’s not surprising to see people worried about the prices of food, gasoline and heating oil.”
This year, much like 2009, one in four Pennsylva­nia households report a member getting a second job over the last six months to make ends meet, while 19 percent have had a job loss.
“The labor and housing markets are still quite a way from normal as can be seen by the still high frac­tion of Pennsylvanians out of work or working shorter hours and losing their homes,” Hyclak said.
Twenty-three percent, down from 31 percent last year, have suffered a cut back in work hours. Seven­teen percent personally know someone who has lost their home in foreclosure over the last year.
“We wanted to ask people questions to start to get a sense of what they think as they drive to work, are going to sleep and taking a shower,” said Dr. Don Levy, SRI’s director. “We want to know their internal dialogue.”
At this point, the questions are to see at what de­gree things are getting better. It’s been a complicated last 12 months that included new presidential admin­istration, stimulus programs, so many things taking place to try to get the economy back on track again, Levy said.
“We wanted to create a survey that measures to what degree are ordinary people in Pennsylvania
Survey reveals economy’s effects on state
See SURVEY Page 3
B&W photo by MATT BREITEL
The Mountain Hawks ended their season when they lost to the Unversity of Delaware Blue Hens at the Football Championship Subdivision playoffs at their rival’s home stadium. See FOOTBALL on page 12.
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