University reasserts court rushing prohibition after Duke game
The police response to the student rush after Miami’s upset of Duke has sparked controversy, causing the university to release a statement about the game to The Miami Hurricane.
“We understand that an event, like the men’s basketball game… can elicit very spirited and emotional reactions. Nonetheless, no one may violate University of Miami, NCAA, or Atlantic Coast Conference policies,” the statement said.
The policies all strictly prohibit unauthorized individuals from entering the court before, during and after the game.
Students at Wake Forest, another ACC school, rushed the court after their win over Duke three days before UM’s game without any police intervention.
The statement, the releasing of which acknowledges possible inappropriate behavior, noted that the university “has been assured by the City of Coral Gables Police Department that it is formally reviewing videotapes of the end of the game.”
Recordings may yield some incriminating evidence against police, according to some students.
Freshman Emaad Khansur said that he fell to the ground when people started to run at the end of the game, and one of his friends was grabbed at the neck by a police officer.
“He was already stopped when the security guard came after him,” Khansur said. “I was really surprised because I don’t think the security guard had a right to grab him by the throat.”
Colin Santacroce, the student who was grabbed by the neck, was not injured. To view the incident, search “Miami kid getting choke slammed by cop at Duke game” on YouTube.
– Karyn Meshbane
Abandoned bikes on campus will be confiscated by UM police
Bicycles on campus tagged with a notice deeming it “abandoned” will be confiscated within 20 days, unless the rightful owner contacts the University of Miami police. If the rightful owner has not claimed their bicycle after the 20-day notice period, the bicycle will be confiscated and held by UM police for 90 days, during which information and a picture of the bicycle will be available on the UM police Web site. If the bicycle is not claimed by its rightful owner after the 90-day holding period, the bicycle will be sold or donated.
The removal of abandoned bicycles from campus is part of a policy designed to prevent crime by keeping the campus organized and maintained.
Visit the UM police website at miami.edu/police and click on “Bicycles on Campus” for more information.
– Chelsea Kate Isaacs
Elsewhere
Suspected plagiarist professor keeps job after noose discovered
Columbia University professor Madonna G. Constantine was sanctioned for plagiarism by the university’s Teachers College, but an unexpected incident swept accusations under the carpet.
After a noose was found hanging from her office doorway in October, the university ultimately allowed Constantine to keep her job, The Miami Herald reported on Feb. 21.
Claiming she had been a victim of racial discrimination, Constantine’s lawyer, Paul J. Giacomo Jr., defended her against the college, which had “uncovered numerous instances in which she used others’ work without attribution in papers she published in academic journals over the past five years,” the Herald said.
Constantine said she thinks the plagiarism sanctions and the noose incident are related. She claims that being an African American education and psychology professor who has written about race has made her a target for racism and intimidation tactics.
The Herald noted that police ruled out any possibility that Constantine had hung the rope herself and that the investigation is still in progress.
– Chelsea Kate Isaacs
Etc.
Vote for next year’s Student Government president Monday through Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the UC Breezeway, and today and tomorrow from 6 to 9 p.m. in the residential colleges.
National Eating Disorders Awareness Week will provide on-campus workshops, lectures and activities promoting self-acceptance and positive body image from Feb. 24 until March. Contact Jose Sandoval at 305-284-5511 or at jsandoval@miami.edu for more information.