NOTES

Higher Ed Notes

Texas student charged with harassment

A Texas A&M student was arrested last week and charged with sending harassing e-mails. Junior James Fenner Montier confessed to sending obscene messages to a Maryland woman via a Website that honored her murdered 14 year-old daughter, university Police Director Bob Wiatt said. The daughter died in a 1999 car accident.

Wiatt said two messages were sent Aug. 8, one that included descriptions of sexual desires involving the dead girl's corpse.

The mother contacted university police the following week and investigators traced one message to Montier's residential hall room computer, Wiatt said.

The other message was traced to a university computer that Montier had been logged on to at the time the message was sent, the director said.

Wiatt said Montier allegedly sent similar messages to two other mothers in Indiana and England who had Websites for their departed children, posing as the Maryland woman.

The student was charged with a misdemeanor, punishable up to 180 days in prison and a $2,000 fine. Montier posted $10,000 bail and was released, Wiatt said.

San Diego may can Aztec mascot

Students at San Diego State University may soon have a new mascot. The school's student government, Associated Students, is scheduled to vote next Wednesday whether to approve the elimination of the university's "Aztec" mascot and logo. The school's Native American Student Alliance asked the group last week to get rid of the mascot, deeming it offensive. AS will hold a forum to allow university members to voice their opinion on the issue.

AS was scheduled to vote on the resolution last week but delayed their decision, claiming they needed university output. The University Senate and president would likely make the final decision if AS votes to ban the "Aztec".

Penn State rally champions rights of assault victims

Pennsylvania State University students, administrators and others gathered on campus last week to support the victims of a string of residential hall sexual assaults Sept. 10. Police charged junior Hung Truong with entering 13 unlocked residential hall rooms and assaulting six females.

At the campus rally, many speakers said sexual assault victims are often treated as the guilty party. Some rally members offered ways to make the campus safer such as offering more classes to educate men about sexual violence.

U. Penn expected to scrap BYOB

Under the rule, students could bring the alcohol to campus parties, drop off the drink with the bartender and pick up the drinks during the event. Other proposed changes include banning kegs and disallowing student organizations from using funds to buy alcohol.

-Compiled by Daily Staff Reporter Bob Gold from U-wire reports.