SEXUAL ASSAULT REPORTED IN MORGAN HALL

A sexual assault said to have taken place in Morgan Hall in October 2014 was reported to Temple Police Thursday, Executive Director of Campus Safety Services Charlie Leone said.

The victim, a female student, knew the attacker – a male student – “very well,” Leone said. Alcohol was believed to be involved in the incident.

The victim was taken to the Philadelphia Police Department Special Victims Unit and can decide if she wants to pursue prosecution, Leone said. Temple has interviewed the suspect in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct.

“We’ve had a few [sexual assaults] reported this year, but it’s unfortunate, it’s one of the few we’ve had where the victim knew the attacker,” Leone said.

-Joe Brandt

BURGLARY REPORTED ON CAMAC STREET

A property on the 2200 block of North Camac Street was burglarized last Wednesday, a Philadelphia police spokeswoman told The Temple News.

The spokeswoman said the residence was broken into through a gated bedroom window, and items were taken from each of the five tenants. The items included a MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, along with other valuables valued at a total of $6,500, she added.

As of Monday, Philadelphia police are still investigating the incident.

-Steve Bohnel

FORMER EDITOR IS PULITZER FINALIST 

Ali Watkins, a former reporter for The Temple News who served as assistant news editor for part of the Fall 2013 semester, was named a Pulitzer Prize finalist in the national reporting category. The results were announced Monday.

Watkins, along with Marisa Taylor and Jonathan Landay of McClatchy Newspapers, received accolades for their coverage of the Senate Intelligence Committee’s report on CIA torture. The Washington-based Watkins now works for the Huffington Post.

In a brief phone interview on Monday night, Watkins said she was grateful to all the people she met along the way who helped her reach her potential, many of whom were active about the honor on social media.

“When big stuff like this happens, you realize all these people, even five to 10 years down the road, are still following along,” Watkins said. “That’s just really humbling.”

According to a press release from the School of Media and Communication, eight alumni have won Pulitzer Prizes. Three of them worked on “Assault on Learning,” a 2013 Inquirer story on violence in the Philadelphia School District.

-Joe Brandt

UNDERGRADUATE STUDENTS SHOW OFF THEIR RESEARCH AT TURF-CREWS

On April 16, several undergraduate students presented research dedicated to a wide range of topics at the university’s annual Undergraduate Research Forum and Creative Works Symposium, according to a university press release.

TURF-CreWS, now in its 22nd year, featured subjects ranging from fighting in ice hockey, the success of Korean pop bands and iris recognition in Android phones.

Emily Moerer, assistant vice provost for undergraduate studies, said the annual event allows undergraduates to show off their hard work on a variety of subjects.

“Part of the act of creating knowledge is also communicating it,” Moerer said in the release. “So we want to give our students the opportunity to showcase and communicate the wonderful work that they’ve accomplished under the mentorship of Temple faculty.”

Students were nominated by their faculty mentors to participate in TURF-CreWS, and that the presentations are a result of research done in the classroom, as well as work done through a university-wide undergraduate research program, like the Temple Merit Scholarship and Educational Enhancement Stipends.

-Steve Bohnel

CHRONICLE ANALYZES CANDIDATES’ STANCE ON HIGHER EDUCATION

Last week, the Chronicle of Higher Education released a report focusing on four declared 2016 presidential candidates’ stances on issues pertaining to higher education.

Hillary Clinton, Marco Rubio, Ted Cruz and Rand Paul were profiled, as the Chronicle analyzed their positions on college affordability, immigration and science – three topics important to colleges. All four candidates declared their intention to run for the Oval Office during the past couple of weeks, according to multiple news outlets.

Concerning the issue of college affordability, Clinton has endorsed President Obama’s plan for free community college, and criticized “for-profit” colleges that put students and families in debt. Rubio has also sided with Obama, calling for an updated federal student-aid system, and added that student debt is a major obstacle for current students in higher education.

Cruz has also stated that student loans are a problem, but has not yet laid out a framework on how to lower higher education costs or how to manage student debt. Paul has focused more on K-12 education than higher education, but has opposed Obama’s free community college plan, while proposing that college tuition be made fully tax-deductible.

-Steve Bohnel