WSU MIPs on the Rise

They can be the three most terrifying words for a college student.

They can cause embarrassment from friends and family and with a maximum fine of $500 and two months in jail could also be a detriment when it comes to applying for jobs after graduation.

For college students under the legal drinking age of 21, the words minor in possession (of alcohol) can ruin the college experience while also serving as a reminder that they shouldn’t drink until they turn 21.

In a two week period in August 2005, history major Mark Reichlin, now a senior, received two MIPs before he started classes at Washington State University.

The first of Reichlin’s MIPs occurred at Sun Lakes Park Resort in Coulee City on a camping trip with friends.

After a night of drinking, Reichlin and his friends were being loud enough to the point it was disturbing nearby campers.  The neighboring campers called the park rangers and when the park rangers arrived they questioned and asked the group if they had been consuming alcohol.

After the park rangers searched the grounds of Reichlin’s group they found alcohol belonging to a member of the group, but instead of charging the one person, everyone in Reichlin’s group was issued MIPs.

“I was kind of a victim of circumstance,” Reichlin said.  “The last thing I wanted to do was go back home and tell my parents.”

Two weeks later, right before the start of his freshman year, Reichlin was walking on the ninth floor at Stephenson North with a plastic red cup filled with beer when he encountered a WSU police officer.

“I thought the first one was kind of questionable and I was more mad at the cops,” Reichlin said.  “The second one I had no one to blame but myself.  I didn’t want to tell my parents about the first one, I was terrified about telling them about the second one.”

The penalty for receiving an MIP can carry a maximum of $500 and up to two months of jail time.  In Reichlin’s case because of the timing of his court appearances he only had to pay $440 and he didn’t have to serve jail time, but he was ordered by a Whitman County judge to attend alcohol counseling along with substance abuse classes.

Reichlin admittedly blamed himself for the second of the MIPs out of his own “stupidity”, something Patrol Sergeant Sam Sorem feels is the reason why many underage students at WSU are issued MIPs.

According to the Clery Incident Summary from August 2008 to April 2008, a total of 567 alcohol related violations occurred in Pullman.  In addition to MIPs, alcohol related violations can include driving under the influence (DUIs) and furnishing to minors, Sorem estimates that 75 percent of alcohol related violations come from MIPs.

“It’s not that we are trying to get people to stop drinking,” Sorem said.  “We realize when people go to college, it’s (drinking) something that is associated with every school.  We as police officers try to stop the problems, the assaults and vandalisms, that stem when people have had too much.”

Most of the MIPs that happen on College Hill come from students who bring attention to themselves, whether it comes in the form of looking really drunk, being loud, obnoxious, or carrying around open containers like beer cans and “keg” cups Sorem said.

“The worst thing you can do is to try and upset the cops,” Sorem said. “The people that choose to run away from us or yell and curse at us are the ones that end up really hurting themselves.  It makes it easier on everyone when people decide to comply.”

Sorem believes the increase in MIPs issued stems from students under the age of 21, more specifically freshman, being away from their parents for the first time and not knowing the dangers too much alcohol can bring.

“Along with the number of MIPs going up it seems like there is an increase in people we take to the hospital for detox,” Sorem said.  “Some people don’t realize how much they’ve had to drink, and before you know it their blood alcohol level is between .3 and .4, those are dangerous levels.”

Much like Washington State law, Washington State University has a zero tolerance policy when it comes to underage drinking.

According to the Office of Student Conduct website, WSU students under the age of 21 are prohibited from consuming or possessing alcoholic beverages.  Students who are caught with any alcoholic beverages will face the same penalty as Washington State law.

“Every case is different,” WSU Conduct Officer James West said. “The first-time offender will have to enroll in an alcohol impact class that is offered through the school.  If the student keeps violating our alcohol policy, the student faces the possibility of expulsion from WSU.”

Weekly Roundup

Police found the robber of a Pullman Check Into Cash

Also Pullman PD are asking for help in finding a 2000 Mazda 626

Morlin ?'s

1) Can you speak of an instance where you were sure of something that you were investigating and it turned out to be false?
2) How do you get the scoops to some of these stories?
3) How willing are people to give up information knowing you are an investigative journalist?
4) With the recent developments of Web 2.0 has investigative journalism become easier/harder and why?
5) Is investigative journalism something you were born with, had a knack for, or became interested in as your career advanced?
6) How long does it take you to complete an investigation?
7) How do you differentiate between fact/opinion with someone you are interviewing?

Public Records Story

One of the biggest crimes committed every weekend on college campuses is the Minor in Possession (of alcohol).  Partying/going out is a big part of the college experience and it seems every weekend there are roughly 15-20 MIPs handed out according to the police log for the Pullman PD.  My idea for a story is to get the numbers from student affairs (which I'm currently in the process of doing) and get some names of students that have had MIPs in the past and get their side of the story.  I think this story would be a good idea because the roughly half of the potential readers are under 21 so they can know of the likelyhood of getting an MIP and the hardships that come with it.  

WSU Football Player Gets DUI

A WSU football player was charged with a DUI over the weekend

This story relates somewhat to my final article for class....more to come

Schieffer and Thomas Speech

Schieffer and Thomas Honored at 35^th Murrow Symposium

New technology and the lack of morals and integrity has led to the downfall of journalism said 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Broadcast Journalism recipient Bob Schieffer.

In a time where any and everyone is capable of producing news content through the internet it is up to future journalists to maintain the credibility and integrity of journalists of the past, Schieffer told a crowd of about 1,000 at Washington State University’s Beasley Coliseum.

“The key for journalism, whether it be broadcast or print is you must be accurate,” Schieffer said. “The problem with the web is it is the only vehicle without any source of editing, we must adhere to the policy that we don’t broadcast or publish unless it’s true.”

Schieffer recalled growing up with newspapers ever since he was a child, and said he couldn’t imagine “not starting my day with coffee and a newspaper.”

The 72-year-old Schieffer began his career at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram where he served as a reporter. In 1969, he took a job with CBS News and over the course of Schieffer’s career at CBS, he served 23 years as the anchor on the Saturday edition of CBS Evening News, and has been the moderator of Face the Nation since 1991. Currently, he is the chief Washington correspondent, a position he has held since 1982.

“I’ve been a huge fan of Schieffer ever since I can remember,” Albion resident Jeff Boyle said. “I feel he is one of the few journalists out there that is well-balanced and shows no bias.”

Along with the 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award, Schieffer has won six Emmy Awards, two Sigma Delta Chi awards (Society of Professional Journalists for Excellence in Journalism), and is a member of the broadcasting/cable hall of fame.

Helen Thomas, known for her work as a White House correspondent for every United States President since John F. Kennedy, was awarded with the 2009 Edward R. Murrow Award for Lifetime Achievement in Journalism.

Thomas shared Schieffer’s take on the current state of journalism and showed discontent for how technology has changed how people get the news.

“Unfortunately in today’s times anyone with a laptop thinks they’re a journalist,” Thomas said. “These people fail to get the accuracy and truth needed to tell the complete story, I’m mourning journalism.”

Thomas questioned the morals and values of electronic journalists and said the key for “good journalism” was ‘following the truth, regardless of where it leads you.”

The 89-year-old Thomas, a Wayne University (now Wayne State University) graduate in 1942, moved to Washington D.C., shortly after graduation to take a job with the now defunct Washington Daily News.

In 1943, Thomas began work with United Press International as a reporter on women’s topics. In 1955, Thomas started, what would turn out to be a long career, covering politics on Capitol Hill. Her first beat covered the United States Department of Justice.

Thomas began covering United States presidents during the presidency of John F. Kennedy and at this time she began the tradition of ending all presidential news conferences with “Thank you, Mr. President.”

Thomas’ career achievements include being the only journalist, male or female, to accompany President Nixon on his trip to China, becoming the first woman to hold a position of bureau chief during her time at UPI and becoming the first female officer of the National Press Club.

“Helen Thomas paved the way for women,” Albion resident Ginny Boyle said. “She’s well-spoken and an inspiration to everyone.”

Sources

Bob Schieffer

Helen Thomas

Jeff and Ginny Boyle (509) 332-5019

Questions For Thomas and Schieffer

Thomas:  

1) Which presidential scandal Watergate or Clinton's sex scandal had a more profound impact on the nation?

2)  What has driven you to be the hard nosed reporter that you are?

3)  Out of your accomplishments which one are you proud of the most?

Schieffer:

1)  Which event changed the way journalism was delivered the the masses?

2)  Which one of your assignments has benefited you the most in terms of the development of your career?

3)  How has journalism changed over the past 20 years and where do you see journalism going in the next 20?

Murrow Symposium Background

Helen Thomas-After graduating from Wayne State University in 1942, Thomas moved to Washington D.C. where she was hired by the United Press. In 1955, she was given a beat for the United States Department of Justice. The beat's coverage included Capitol Hill, the FBI, and the Department of Health, Welfare and Education. Thomas began covering presidents during the presidency of JFK and in 1970 she shifted her career to being a White House correspondent. Some of her career highlights include being the only journalist to accompany President Nixon on his trip to China, becoming the United Press bureau chief (the first woman to hold a bureau chief position for a wire service), and becoming first female officer of the NPC.

Bob Schieffer- attended TCU and before having his first reporting job at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram he served in the United States Air Force. He worked for a short time at a station in Dallas before joining CBS in 1969. He started at CBS by just doing Sunday broadcasts before his assignment at the Pentagon from 1970-1974 and being the network's White House correspondent from 1974-1979. For 23 years he was the anchor for Saturday's CBS Evening News. He has been the host of Face the Nation since 1991. Over the course of his career Schieffer has won six Emmy Awards

Profile Piece

WSU Graduate Student Brings Flavor of Diversity to Pullman

Each year less than 1 percent of Washington State University’s 25,000 undergraduate and graduate students receive the President’s Award, given to the student who best represents exceptional leadership and service to the university and the community. 

Elliott Flavors, a 25-year-old graduate student, was the recipient of one of the 40 President’s Awards of 2008 for his demonstration of high character, leadership and engagement. 

While the President’s Award is one of the top achievements Flavors’ has worked for, his biggest satisfaction comes from trying to make the world around him a better place.

Flavors was born to Trolice and Anna in Seattle and gives much of the credit for the person he is today toward his family upbringing and how family developed him into the person he has become.

“From a traditional sense our family was very conservative,” said Flavors.  “We weren’t allowed to watch any so-called bad movies or curse or anything like that.  Basically we were like any family out there, Dad was the disciplinarian and Mom was the one you could run to.”

Trolice Flavors, a former Black Panther, was involved in a sit-in at Seattle’s Franklin High School where African-American students protested after African-American female students were sent home because they wore their hair as an afro.  Trolice’s decided to sit-in because African-American students wanted to have more diversity by having more African-American administrators, teachers, and an increased learning of prominent African-Americans throughout history.

The elder Flavors’ ideals of being involved in community issues, standing up for what is right and standing up for what you believe in became the template the younger Flavors based his life on.

“As I became older I realized I became who my father was,” said Flavors.  “Everything from the corny jokes to becoming involved with my surrounding community, I saw my father when I looked into the mirror.”

During Flavors’ junior year these morals and values were tested as a result of an alleged racist taunt directed toward an Asian female student. 

In 2005, two former WSU men’s basketball players Robbie Cowgill and Alex Kirk were accused of harassing former WSU student Nina Kim at the Multicultural Student Center in the Cub.  According to reports, the players were accused of “dancing around and slanting their eyes” as they walked by the student center where Kim worked.

Upon hearing of the incident, Flavors and a group of WSU students staged a protest at a WSU basketball game where they held signs and chanted to the crowd. 

After a lengthy investigation the players were cleared of any wrong doing by WSU Student Conduct, a ruling that Flavors feels was unjust. 

“Here you have two male student-athletes, who by more than one account were identified as having taken part in this incident where racism was evident and for the ruling to clear them because of ‘adolescent behavior’ there’s something wrong there.”

Even though the outcome wasn’t what Flavors wanted, the results of the protests led WSU to change the way harassment was viewed at the university.

After a few months of evaluating harassment policies WSU called for changes including a zero-tolerance policy regarding racism, diversity training and the diversity requirement for students pursuing their undergraduate degree. 

As a result, Flavors co-chaired a group called Black Men Making a Difference.  The groups’ premise was to address social issues such as racism and sexism. 

The group held workshops and public forums to raise and educate students on diversity issues.  BMMAD is the reason Flavors began to appreciate Pullman.

“Here you have a bunch of people coming together all trying to get the same message of diversity across,” said Flavors.  “The first time someone asked why our name was ‘Be Mad’ and not ‘Be Happy’, I told them can’t you see this smile on my face I’m happy and proud to be doing this.”

If Flavors sees his father when he looks into the mirror, the man in the mirror must surely be proud.

Elliott Flavors (206) 856-2623

Profile Proposal

I want to do a profile on Officer Brock Germer, the College Hill beat cop, of the Pullman PD. This is a guy who I know, from various students on campus, who is respected and disliked. My thought here is to get his story on the job that he does, what goes into it, why he is liked/disliked...etc. I feel this could be interesting because with his interaction and understanding of college students maybe there is a stereotype that perhaps shouldn't be implied when dealing with Germer. People I could interview are "Pro" Germer, those who work with him or have had positive encounters with him, or "Anti" Germer, those who have negative encounters with him or perhaps those who favored former Officer Bell. The newspapers that this could be published in are Germer's hometown (wherever that may be) and any newspaper here in Pullman.

War Critique

  Everyone has heard the song “War, uhhh, what is it good for absolutely nothin’”.  While many hold this common belief that no war is a good war, the coverage of war by the mass media has lead to many debates about whether the agenda of the media is to promote or oppose the war back home in the States.  Whether the information is being exhibited through video, political cartoons, commentary or a soldier stationed in Iraq there are many techniques used to help calibrate opinions here on the home front. 

Lt. Col. Craig Whiteside described media news as ‘being negative, but perhaps that is the nature of journalism and perhaps people’.  After having served in Iraq in a tour of duty, Whiteside said he came back with a different perception on what was being reported back home to what was really going on in Iraq.  Most notably, Whiteside referred to an article in Esquire where a member of his troop was held on trial for wrongful murder.  He felt that the article was poorly written because he felt that the reported ultimately fell in love with Michael Hensley, the man in question, and because of this the story lacked any objectivity.   Whiteside also talked about a story in The Washington Post in which the journalist wrote a story that he stumbled upon instead of the story the troop was offering.  Both stories in which Whiteside was a part of seemed to have struck a chord within him because as he put it “There are many good things going on, but it seems as if the negative stuff is all that is being said.”  Whiteside said perhaps most of these negative stories are being written because over the course of the war, many of the foreign correspondents are paying local stringers to cover the story.  This poses the problem of getting the local Iraqi angle on the story, and due to certain beliefs and threats from oppositional forces could lead the stringer to write a story that is highly negative for American troops.   

The first article is from Matt Gurney of nationalpost.com.  The title of the article “Defeating the Taliban may be Impossible.  It’s also not Necessary” tells the reader right away the writer’s stance on how he feels about the War on Terror.  Within the first few paragraphs of the article, the author does a great job explaining his point of views as he cites numerous examples of why dealing with insurgents is so difficult for the coalition because they don’t follow the same strict routine and bylaws that traditional military forces do.  Gurney continues with past examples of war such as Vietnam and World War II and that because of the various tactics used against the coalition it limits/hinders how they are able to fight.  Gurney becomes political by saying that the election of President Obama is a good thing for the West because it allows for a fresh start for redefining the goals of the so called “War on Terror”.  I like this article a lot because even though the author doesn’t agree with the war, he provides great examples through historical and current context to give the reader something to think about. 

The second article is from a CNN.com report on a group of suicide bombers that attacked a rally near Baghdad in July.  The article focuses on the series of attacks during a period in which Shiites attended a holy shrine.  The article gives a brief history of conflict between the Kurds, Sunnis and Shiites so the reader can get an insight as to the possibilities on why the attacks could have occurred.  The article does a good job getting context and even some insight from the sides involved.  The part where the article does the best job is acknowledging that female suicide bombers is becoming an increasingly larger problem as the conflict in Iraq progresses and how the Iraqi government is going about trying to solve/limit the problem.  Since this is an online source, the article also has links, video, and various pictures of the event which do a good job bringing the conflict into the homes of Americans. 

Military.com provides a photo journal of images from the Iraq War that once again gives vivid imagery as to what is going on in Iraq.  Before analyzing the pictures and captions that go along with the photos it should be noted there is going to be obvious bias toward the military effort because the site has an interest in the U.S. military forces.  The first picture in the pictorial is of an Iraqi family grieving.  The picture does a great job capturing the emotion and at first the caption does a good job recapping the even that caused the family to grieve.  However, the last part of the caption “…and residents blamed U.S. troops for the tragedy” makes the military to be the scapegoat for the death of civilians in Iraq.  The next picture shows a group of “Iraqi Martyrs” that are marching with AK-47s.  The picture tries to show what the enemy looks like and what military forces are up against.  The picture that struck me the most was a picture of a soldier tearing up as he attended a memorial service for a fallen soldier.  The picture brings to life the raw emotion that soldiers go through as they are faced with losing the people they are closest within their infantry, and it gives the viewer an idea of the type of people that are serving our country overseas. 

The biggest problem I’ve had with the media coverage over the course of the War on Terror is the death of Pat Tillman.  For those who don’t know Pat Tillman was an ex-NFL player who retired prematurely in order to enlist for the war in Afghanistan.  Tillman died because of friendly fire and what ensued was the mass media putting Tillman above all others who have served their country.  For instance, in an April 2004 article in USA Today Greg Boeck praises Tillman for his sacrifice and service to the country.  While Tillman’s story is unique because of his “celebrity status” without his name and professional accolades his story is just like many others who enlisted in the armed forces after 9/11.  The bigger story that came out of Tillman’s’ death was the military cover-up that ensued after his death.  While there was substantial coverage over the cover-up I feel that majority of the coverage came because of Tillman’ celebrity status.

Al-Jazeera is an Arabic based media network that provides coverage world-wide.  In an archived article from 2004 involving a US led attack in Fallujah there is a different style in what was reported compared to US mediums.  The article focuses more on the violence and damages caused by the US led forces, compared to the mission/reasoning of the attacks that are seen in US papers.  The article is very descriptive using phrases such as ‘lit up the night sky’ and ‘precision strikes’.  The article includes a little blurb about US Marines who were killed, which after reading the whole article lets the reader know where Al-Jazeera stands in terms of who/what they support because the only times the US is mentioned deals with violent aspects.  Even though the article is primarily against the US led attacks the article does a good job informing the reader of the events that took place.  Much like American papers the article is written toward the audience involved, in this case the Arab world.  

Sources 

Gurney Article

Female Suicide Bombers

Photo Journal

Pat Tillman

Al Jazeera

Contradicting Stories

Here is a quick blurb from the Daily Evergreen about WSU Quarterback Marshall Lobbestael's citation for an MIC over the weekend.

This story from Cougfan.com has quotes from head coach Paul Wulff that has a different side of the story of the events from this weekend.

5 Burning Questions

1)  How do you feel the war coverage from the non-American journalist point of view has been?

2)  What else is going on in Iraq/Afghanistan that the media hasn't covered or focused on ie. soldier hardships, daily rituals...etc

3)  What words of inspiration would you have for a journalist who is skeptical on covering any future areas of conflict?

4)  Has your military backgroung influenced your point of view on American media war coverage?

5)  Exactly how much has advanced technology changed war coverage from the beginning of the War on Terror to now, and how much do you think it will change in the future?

Legislative Story

House Bill Looks to End Student/Teacher Relation Loophole

In Washington State it is currently legal for teachers to have consensual sexual relations with 18-year-old students.

In April 2007, Matthew Hirschfelder, a former Hoquiam High School choir teacher, was charged with first-degree sexual misconduct after allegations of sexual relations with a Hoquiam senior.

Last month, a three judge panel in the Washington State Court of Appeals dismissed the case because Washington State law prohibits sexual relations with those under the age of 18.

The ruling in the Hirschfelder case has many citizens in Washington State calling for a change in the interpretation of the law, said Rep. Larry Haler R-Richland.

In Haler’s town of Richland, a similar case occurred when a music teacher from Richland High School had his case dismissed after a judge dropped a sexual misconduct charge ruling the sexual act was legal because the alleged victim’s age was 18.

Shortly after the panel ruled in favor of Hirschfelder, Haler proposed a bill, at the request of the Richland School District, in order to change the so called “loop-hole” in Washington State law.

“The students in our schools deserve to be safe in their learning environment,” Haler said. “There is a certain level of trust involved in a student/teacher relationship, a trust that shouldn’t be violated.”

House Bill 1013 was first read in the Jan. 20 session in Olympia, and after some revisions of the bill, it was later renamed House Bill 1385.

The original bill called for all students up to the age of 21 to be protected, but because of the importance to get the bill passed Haler agreed to lower the minimum age to 20.

“Potentially it could be a bad thing to have the age lowered to 20 instead of the original 21,” Haler said. “In some cases, for whatever reason, there are those students who don’t graduate high school until a few years after they turn 18.”

In Pullman, there have been no reported cases of sexual misconduct between teachers and students at Washington State University or Pullman School District.

“We are well aware of the happenings in Olympia regarding House Bill 1385,” said Pullman School District Superintendent Paul R. Sturm. “Teachers who become involved sexually with students violate their trust with those around them while also compromising their professionalism. If an incident of this nature would occur in our district, I can assure you that teacher would have no future with Pullman School District.”

Washington State University’s 2008 faculty manual prohibits students and faculty members from sexual relations if the faculty member has any influence over the student. If any faculty member is caught violating the terms of the sexual conduct policy they would face sanctions using university due process.

The bill wouldn’t apply to college students under the age of 18 because of the maturity and freedom college students have compared to their high school counterparts, said Haler.

The incidents at Richland and Hoquaim High Schools are part of a trend as more than 100 separate incidents, a majority of them occurring on the west side of Washington, have taken place over the last two years, said Haler.

In most of the incidents, Haler said the students involved didn’t report the act until either after the student graduated or after the teacher moved to another school district.

The bill must still be passed through the Washington State legislature. Governor Christine Gregoire must then sign it to become a law, but the response from across the state and support from fellow politicians in Olympia have Haler feeling confident.

“If everything goes to plan the bill should become a law in July, just in time for the 2009-10 school year,” Haler said. “This whole process has been a challenge, but at the same time very exciting.”

Sources:

Rep. Larry Haler 360-786-7986

Paul R. Sturm 509-332-3881

Elaine Voss 509-335-4532 (Not Attributed)

Hitchens Lecture

I left the Christopher Hitchens lecture almost the same way I came in, not knowing what to think. Before entering the lecture, I was anxious to hear what an atheist with a wide range of political knowledge would have to say. After leaving, I wanted some answers. I do believe Hitchens' is entertaining as he was able to make the crowd laugh with an anecdote from time to time and even receiving a roaring applause on a few occasions. Hitchens' atheist beliefs made me think about an uncle I have who is on the contrary to Hitchens. While I don't have anything against anyone practicing any faith or non-faith, I was a little piturbed on how Hitchens seemed to speak everything in hypotheticals when it came to religion, while on the flip-side made everything atheist absolute, much the same way my uncle is when it comes to his faith. I have a problem understanding someone's point (regardless of the subject) when they say "if this didn't happen/exist" there would be no change. There is no way to know that because of what happened and what took place. I sat with a friend from class and he made a great point when he said Hitchens was telling the audience believers take the easy way out by saying things are this way because that is how God wants it to be, but if you reverse what he said wouldn't it be just as easy to say you take the easy way out by beliving that there is no God.

Michael Phelps Aftermath

There is no local angle here except for the fact that it happened in a college town.  It looks like the people involved with the Michael Phelps bong incident were allegedly caught with drug possession.  This happened because the police were able to track down the involved parties because the parties tried to sell the bong on eBay for $100,000.

MSNBC Video

Legislative Story Proposal

I'm going to do my story on the recently proposed House Bill 1013 which will challenge the recently passed law that makes it OK for teachers to have consensual sex with students who are at least 18-years-old.  Larry Haler a representative from District 8 wants students up to 21-years-old to be protected.  The law that has been passed has generated lots of controversy so I think this story has lots of potential, especially in a small rural town such as Pullman.

5 Burning Questions

At the end of A Town Left to Die you wrote that many townspeople feel too much is being made of the deaths and illnesses. Is this the feeling of the younger generations of the Libby population or a group of townspeople who have accepted their fate?

Before reading your piece I never really thought about the economics or the illegal practices in honey producing. Where did you come up with the idea for Honey Laundering?

To follow-up in the future could you see any possible tariffs or trade repercussions for countries with illegal honey?

How long is the whole process of coming up with an idea, researching it and putting everything together?

Because of your accolades do you try and "out-do" yourself with every subsequent piece or do you take the same approach to each piece you do?

Trend Story

Pullman Assaults Down from 2007

2008 Totals Lowest in Three Years

Last April, Washington State University student Ian Wilds’ life changed forever.

The senior financing major and a group of friends were walking home from Stubblefields when a random assault landed Wilds in a coma.

“No one saw it coming,” Wilds said.  “Some guy hit me from behind, my head hit the pavement and I was knocked unconscious.”

Friends called 911 and an ambulance took Wilds to Pullman Regional Hospital.  When Wilds arrived, medical staff determined that the hospital lacked the proper equipment for severe head trauma injuries so doctors transferred him via airplane to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

The doctors at Harborview put Wilds into a medically induced coma to prevent his brain from swelling after tests revealed he suffered a fractured skull and multiple brain contusions.  Wilds stayed in the hospital for more than a month as doctors monitored his brain activity.

Wilds case is one of many reported assault incidents that have occurred in Pullman over the past few years, with many of them happening on College Hill, said Pullman police officer Brandon Koe.

According to Pullman Police statistics, since 2003, there have been 745 reported assaults in Pullman, an average of 124 a year, and Koe attributes the assaults to a combination of college students drinking and losing control.

“I would estimate that 80 percent of crimes committed in Pullman are related to alcohol,” Koe said.  “Every weekend it seems like it’s the same thing, students drink too much and some of them end up getting into fights.”

To combat the problem with College Hill violence, in April 2008, Pullman City Council members passed Ordinance No. 08-6, which states anyone caught fighting, regardless of who is at fault, would receive a penalty of $250 for the first offense and $500 for repeat offenses.

In 2008, there were 115 reported assaults in Pullman, the lowest since 2005.  While the numbers are at their lowest in three years, only time will tell if the ordinance has had an impact on the violence on College Hill, Koe said.

“I do think the ordinance could be attributed to some of the decrease in fighting,” Koe said.  “But in reality if people want to fight, they’re going to fight.”

After a month in the hospital, Wilds was released to his parents’ home in Renton.  Although the healing process had begun, Wilds still took IV and pain medications.

Wilds estimates his medical bills are well over $100,000, but the biggest losses fail to compare to how his life changed in the past year.

“I played rugby for over six years and it was something I loved doing,” Wilds said.  “However with the injuries to my head, the doctors strongly advised me to never participate in rugby or any contact sports ever again.”

Even though Wilds was a victim of a random assault he said there is no fear of a related incident occurring again.

Almost a year after the incident, doctors performed an MRI on Wilds over the holiday break. The doctor's prognosis said everything looked normal and Wilds is expected to make a full recovery.

Hot Off the Wire 1-28-09

It looks like Pullman's Police Department is facing repercussions from our state's tough economic times.

The fraternity that was searched last week was suspended by its national chapter pending a review

Hot Off the Wire

Drug Raid at WSU Campus

I read this article in today's Evergreen and although the investigation is in the very early stages this is a story I'm going to keep my eyes on.

First Story Proposals

My first story proposal is to go on a ride-a-long with a police officer to see what the typical Friday night in Pullman is like. Ideally I want the piece to be centered on bar violence and what the Pullman police are doing to try and stop it, but if there is something else that arises I might end up changing my story.

The second story would center around DUI rate around Pullman and exactly how much of a problem it is around town. I'll also look at past instances involving people that have had DUIs and how their life has changed.

Beat Outline

This beat would be important to the local community because it focuses on the crime/criminal activity that takes place in a smaller, tight-knit community. Having lived in a small town prior to my time in Pullman I have an understanding that the community not only is interested in their town's well-being, but also they want to know of any crimes that could affect that well-being. With that being said, in Pullman, I would estimate over 70% of the crime would stem from activities from the college, from so called "out-of-towners". Historical topics on this subject stem from the riots back in the late 90's, drug busts, all of the various bar fights/assaults over the years, DUI's, and all of the hate crimes that took place last semester. It's hard to come up with upcoming issues because it's hard to predict crime, but maybe there's an underlying issue to look for whether it be crime rates are higher during specific weekends ie. Mom's/Dad's Weekend, football weekends, beginning/end of school...etc. I'll try to define the beat by trying to determine an underlying issue whether there is a specific reasoning for these crimes, whether it be related to alcohol or whatnot.

Three story ideas include
1) Looking at alcohol sales in Pullman from (bars, liquor store, grocery stores) and seeing if there is a correlation between high sale rates and high campus crime rates.
2) How the police are trying to crack down on Pullman crime rates such as implimenting more policies like the one about both parties being involved in fighting.
3) How WSU student conduct deals with student crimes/convictions.

Three crime related articles dealing with various crimes around WSU and two universities in Kansas

National Stalking Awareness Month

Hate Crimes at WSU

RCoape at Two Kansas Universities

The articles are significant because they represent crimes that are common place around colleges and could be said that these are topics I could possibly cover during my beat.  Although with my beat I would like to see what and if there are underlying factors for the crimes.

Three potential contacts regarding my story would be

Pullman Police Chief William "Ted" Weatherly 332-2521

Student Conduct Officer Elliott Flavors              335-4532

Sociology Associate Professor Lisa McIntyre     335-5705

The police chief is obvious because he will have knowledge about all of the going-ons in Pullman.  The student conduct officer would have knowledge on the the decisions/verdicts of anything involving student related crimes.

The sociology professor would be the one to help me determine the social aspects of why people commit crimes.