The Clarion | November 7, 2008
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News —
BPD investigating recent on-campus tliefts
by Joseph Chilton
Editor-in-Chief
The Brevard Police Department currently
has two detectives working on solving
a rash of thefts across campus over the
past few weeks, Brevard College Head
of Campus Security Stan Jacobsen said
Tuesday.
The campus wide kleptomaniacal craze
began several weeks ago, when six car
break-ins were reported on campus in a
four-day span from Oct. 8-11.
The thefts continued with a desktop
computer being stolen from the computer
lab in Dunham on Oct. 15, over $1300
worth of video game equipment and cash
being taken from a South Village dorm
room over fall break, $180 being stolen
from a dorm room in Beam Hall on Oct.
28, and three mountain bikes being lifted
from the courtyard between North Villages
1&2 on Oct. 30.
“I don’t think that there is one person
steahng all over campus,” Jacobsen said.
“Police are interviewing on each case
separately, but looking for some sort of
tie-in if they are related.”
The Dunham break-in has resulted in
the computer lab being locked, with a list
of Music majors being the only students
allowed into the lab. The students on the
list must be let into the lab by faculty or
by campus security.
Jacobsen beheves that some of the thefts
were perpetrated by students, but isn’t so
sure about others.
“I don’t think that the bikes that were
stolen from the Village were stolen by
students, since the bikes were customized
and the students who owned them would
be able to recognize the bikes if they saw
somebody else with them on campus,”
Jacobsen said.
“It is fairly obvious, though, that the
break-ins in the dorms were done by
students.”
According to Jacobsen, Brevard College
has not seen such a brazen rash of larceny
since five years ago, when a disgruntled
former college employee used a pass key
to break in to a number of rooms in The
Village.
That criminal was caught and is now in
state prison, but tracking the current thieves
will not be as easy.
“These cases are fuimy because they are
scattered,” Jacobsen said.
“If any students have any tips, we would
encourage them to come to campus
security.
Tlie future of education in tlie United States
by Radosav 'Backo' babic
Foreign Correspondent
A newly selected president of United
States, Barack Obama, seems to have
effective plans regarding education,
besides many others. As someone who
has struggled throughout his life while
seeking to receive the best
education he could in one
of the best institutions
in the nation. President
Obama understands the
challenges many young
and motivated Americans
are facing.
The economy is going
down and cost of colleges
and universities have been
constantly increasing
(grown around 40% in
the past 5 years), which made it hard for
many to afford college education.
However, President Obama has a plan
with which he plans to solve this problem.
SCHOOL
He will create what he calls a new American
Opportunity Tax Credit. It will be worth
$4,000, each student will be able to receive
in exchange for community service. This
sum is supposed to cover approximately
two thirds of tuition cost at an average
public institution, which is equal to the full
tuition cost of many community colleges.
This won’t only enable students to continue
with their education after high school, but
would also help forming
a better and healthier
community, as well,
because the recipients of
the credit will be obhgated
to complete 100 hours of
service.
As many are at times
confused by the apphcation
process of financial aid,
Obama has thought of
changing that, as well. He
will get rid of the existing
federal financial aid apphcation; instead,
families who will be willing to apply could
simply check a box on their tax form, which
would ultimately allow tax information to
be used, and there will be no need for a
separate application.
President Obama beheves that in order for
one to receive a sohd education, he needs
to be taught and lead by good teachers
and professors. Therefore, he will focus
on recruiting, preparing, retaining, and
rewarding future and current teachers and
professors of this country. He plans on
doing so by providing scholarships (four
years of undergraduate and two years of
graduate school), makings sure each new
teacher/professor gets the solid trainings
through a voluntary national performance
assessment, by increasing mentoring
programs, which will combine experienced
and new teachers/professors, and finally by
increasing the salaries for these devoted and
enthusiastic educators.
Even as a State Senator of Illinois, he tried
to improve early childhood education and
make college more affordable. However
now, as a new President of United States,
Barack Obama has more power in his
hands to make the progress; and with the
attitude “YES WE CAN,” nothing seems
impossible any more.