Sigma Epsilon Alpha member faces possible expulsion
Sigma Alpha Epsilon member Charles Smith could face expulsion from school for allegedly assaulting a University Police officer last week, according to University officials.
Smith was arrested Friday morning for allegedly elbowing a UPD officer in the chest when she asked for identification from him and the woman he was walking with.
Metropolitan Police took Smith in on charges of simple assault, but those charges were dropped at his arraignment because of “lack of evidence,” Sigma Alpha Epsilon President Andrew Hopkins said.
The Sept. 14 incident marks the second time in two weeks a Sigma Alpha Epsilon member has been arrested for assaulting an officer.
On Aug. 31 John Shannon was arrested after he allegedly hit an MPD officer in the shoulder after blocking the officer’s path to the fraternity house at 3038 G St.
Shannon was initially charged with felony assault of an officer, but the charge was reduced to a misdemeanor simple assault at his arraignment. His trial is scheduled Oct. 23.
“These are two isolated incidents in my eyes,” Hopkins said. “They both happened under different circumstances, and both students are denying allegations and have yet to be proven guilty.”
Hopkins said fraternity members spoke to an MPD officer after the incidents and he is planning on having an officer speak to the whole fraternity soon.
“(The incidents) have caused a lot of chaos in the house,” Hopkins said. Hopkins said he feels the two assault arrests have not affected rush activities.
Vice President for Student and Academic Support Services Robert Chernak said the University does not tolerate attacks on its employees.
“Any time an official of the University, in particular a University Police officer, is assaulted, that would certainly put the student in jeopardy of being expelled,” Chernak said.
-Mosheh Oinounou and Russ Rizzo
Worried parents clog lines
Even before many students woke up Sept. 11, their parents were trying to get a hold of them to ensure their safety. Thousands of parents attempted to get though the overburdened GW telephone lines and out-of-service cell phones to hear their child’s voice.
“Parents are calling the residence halls, the dean of students and me here at the Parents’ Association,” said Rodney Johnson, director of Parent Services.
“I have no idea how many phone calls the University has received since Tuesday,” he said. “I alone returned 70 phone calls from home on that Tuesday. Most of the calls were from parents of freshmen.”
Parents are dealing with many different emotions because they are separated from their child for the first time and fear for their child’s safety more than ever, Johnson said.
Ruby Bhasin, mother of sophomore Priya Bhasin said it took her three hours to contact her daughter the day of the terrorist attacks.
“I was devastated. My husband was on the train into (New York city),” she said.
Bhasin said she received an e-mail from her daughter letting her know she was OK while she tried to get through on the phone.
“I knew she was OK, but I just wanted to hear her voice,” Bhasin said. “There was no doubt in my mind that she would be OK.”
Priya Bhasin said her mother instructed her to stay inside and never to walk alone at night. Bhasin was also told not to respond if anyone made any derogatory or racist remarks to her. The Bhasin family, originally from India, are Sikhs.
Madeline Darnell, mother of senior Sarah Kerr, offered to pay for daughter to stay in a Virginia hotel for as long as she wanted because she feared more attacks on D.C., Kerr said. Darnell lives in Athens, Ga., and wanted to ensure her daughter’s safety anyway she could, Kerr said.
Dean of Students Linda Donnels said she has received waves of phone calls from parents.
“The first questions I received were parents calling because they could not find their children,” she said.
After GW phone lines cleared, Donnels said the next questions parents asked were about the school’s evacuation plan. They also wanted to know if students knew the implementation process. Parents were reassured that GW has an evacuation process and that in an emergency buildings will be evacuated as needed, Donnels said.
-Mira Katz
Wooden Teeth hosts coffee-house
Wooden Teeth, GW’s student art and literary magazine, is hosting a free coffee-house and open-mic night Friday from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. in the New Hall first-floor study lounge.
The event is free, and the group will be accepting donations to support the relief efforts of the American Red Cross.
Students are invited to read their own original work and submit it for publication in an upcoming issue.
-Becky Guyon
