From the Penn State sex abuse scandal to student protests, 2012 offered us no shortage of college news stories that took the media by storm. Individual colleges were propelled into the public eye by national headlines that shocked, inspired, and caught the attention of news audiences around America.
As this year comes to a close, let’s reflect on some of the year’s biggest stories, stories that were not only relevant to college students, but that also spurred national debate on issues facing the country. With that, HC gives you our top college-related news stories of 2012!
Jerry Sandusky Found Guilty, Sentenced for Penn State Child Abuse Scandal
A little more than thirty years ago, Jerry Sandusky could be found whipping the Penn State football team into shape and helping troubled youth as founder of The Second Mile. Now, the former Penn State defensive line coach and convicted child molester will only ever be found spending the rest of his life in prison.
Eight witnesses came forward in the high profile case to testify that Sandusky sexually abused them when they were boys, with the earliest incidents dating back to 1994. Many of these men had participated in The Second Mile, through which they had met Sandusky and reportedly fallen victim to him when the Penn State coach abused their trust.
After more than a decade of uninvestigated reports, eyewitness accounts, and even more victims, Sandusky’s trial formally began on June 11 this year with 52 counts of sexual crimes levied against the former coach. On June 22, he was convicted on 45 of 48 counts of sexual abuse over a 15-year period, a verdict that was quickly followed with a jail sentence of at least 30 years and a maximum 60 years.
The repercussions of the trial were immense. Penn State president Graham Spanier was forced to resign while now-deceased head football coach, Joe Paterno, and athletic director Tim Curley were fired for dismissing and failing to investigate claims against Sandusky. The NCAA also imposed crippling fines and a four-year ban on the Penn State football program, sanctions that reveal the case’s severe impact on the nation.
Want more details? Turn to:
The Patriot-News
NBC (interview with Sandusky)
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125 Students Investigated in Harvard Exam Cheating Scandal
Cheating on exams is widespread on college campuses, but very few incidents reach the same magnitude Harvard’s did this past August. In the most recent Ivy League cheating scandal, 125 students were investigated for sharing and collaborating on answers for a take-home test, putting some students in danger of a year-long suspension while others face more complicated verdicts due to athletic regulations or their status as a Harvard graduate.
A teaching fellow for the Government 1310: Introduction to Congress course first noticed the similarities between some exams in May 2012. After reviewing all 279 exams taken that Spring semester, Harvard called for a case-by-case investigation into 125 of the student exams.
Since then, Harvard has considered adopting an honor code to prevent more cheating, a Harvard basketball team’s co-captain has been forced to withdraw, various students have gone to the media to tell their side of the story, and the university could face lawsuits. The fallout from the incident has been extremely complicated, leaving much unresolved for the new year.
Want more details? Turn to:
The Harvard Crimson
The Boston Globe
Obama Grants Immunity to Certain Young Illegal Immigrants
On June 15, President Barack Obama came forward to announce a new policy change that would defer the deportation of young illegal immigrants, specifically those that entered the United States as children. His statement incited celebration and antagonism, with many claiming the decree as a victory for immigration reform while opponents argued against its provisions to supposedly offer “amnesty” to illegal immigrants.
The new policy doesn’t directly lead towards citizenship, but it removes the threat of deportation for an estimated 800,000 young undocumented immigrants, including many college students, who have been living in the U.S. Now, illegal immigrants under 30 years of age can legally avoid deportation so long as they entered the country before the age of 16 and have resided in the U.S. for more than five continuous years. These same undocumented youth must have also graduated from a U.S. high school or earned a GED degree, or served in the military, and must have no criminal record. If they choose, many can also apply for work permits valid for two years, with no limits on how many times the permits can be renewed.
Though the policy isn’t, in Obama’s own words, a “permanent fix” for illegal immigration, its striking similarity to the DREAM Act has given hope that the President will pursue even more immigration reform initiatives. With over one million immigrants sent back to their country of origin as of 2011, Obama has deported more undocumented immigrants than any other president in U.S. history. The sheer number of deportations has led many to believe that the policy is the first step in a new positive direction, but others remain skeptical as to how much the President will follow through on immigration reform.
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The Supreme Court Upholds Obama’s Health Care Overhaul
In a 5-4 vote, the Supreme Court upheld the Affordable Healthcare Act, ruling the law constitutional and giving Obama a major legislative victory. While the Court did curtail some measures of the Act, the Court’s declaration that the law is constitutional allows the Obama administration to continue rolling out the Act’s provisions.
For college students, this means that we’re allowed to stay on our parents’ health insurance plan until we’re 26, a measure that’s already in place. Throughout the next year, insurance companies will also be required to cover women’s preventative and wellness care, taking a huge financial burden off young and old women alike.
However, Obama’s health care plan remains a divisive policy, one that still isn’t being embraced by everyone. Businesses and institutions have begun to take advantage of any loopholes they can find, as is the case with the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) in Pittsburgh and Youngstown State University (YSU). Both colleges have limited work hours allotted to adjunct professors and other part-time staff to avoid providing them with health insurance, a measure reportedly put in place because the colleges don’t have the funds needed to meet Obamacare’s provisions.
Most, if not all, of Obama’s health care reforms are set to roll out by the end of 2014. Only then will we begin to have a clear idea of all the Affordable Care Act’s implications.
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13 Convicted, Florida A&M Faces Punishment for Drum Major Hazing Death
One year ago, drum major Robert Champion was found dead on the FAMU marching band’s bus during halftime at a football game. The 26-year-old had tried to “[cross] bus C,” a hazing ritual that made new band members walk from the back to the front of the bus with older members beating them all the while.
By November, 13 people were charged with hazing crimes in relation to Champion’s death and FAMU’s accreditation is in danger of being revoked. FAMU offered Champion’s family $300,000 in a settlement during the first week of November, but the institution is now in a battle to reverse lawsuits, going so far as to claim that Champion’s death was his own fault.
Champion’s homicide shed a light on the potential dangers of hazing, and a whole string of incidents since then has alarmed Greeks and non-Greeks alike, including the charges laid against 22 Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity members for the death of NIU freshman David Bogenberger.
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UVA President Reinstated Following Student and Faculty Protests
With funding for universities at a low due to economic hardship, it’s no surprise that both private and public universities have had to innovate, finding new ways to further their educational goals while keeping finances on a tight leash. But this past spring at UVA, the same pressure took a more complicated turn as differing views on the university’s administrative affairs led to Teresa Sullivan’s removal as UVA President.
The dispute began when Rector Helen Dragas and Vice Rector Mark Kington, who serve as heads of UVA’s Board of Visitors, were keen to incorporate online courses into university programs, an approach Sullivan resisted. After some secret lobbying, Dragas managed to oust Sullivan on June 8, but the lack of clear reasons behind Dragas’s actions left Sullivan and the UVA community confused as to why the forced resignation even occurred.
Outraged, faculty members and students alike protested every day, fighting for Sullivan. In the end, the Board of Visitors voted unanimously to reinstate Sullivan as President of UVA on June 26. While Sullivan continues to work with the Board of Visitors, their relation remains strained, especially as UVA risks losing its accreditation because of the incident.
Want more details? Turn to:
The Cavalier Daily (original emails between Dragas and Kington)
The New York Times
USA Today College (for more student protests this year)
27 Killed in Connecticut Elementary School Shooting
On December 14th, 20-year-old Adam Lanza walked into Sandy Cook Elementary, claiming the lives of 26 children and adults before taking his own. The number of victims has made the shooting at Sandy Cook the second worst shooting in U.S. history, right behind the 2007 Virginia Tech incident. It also marked the end of a year where other mass shootings, including those at Aurora and a Wisconsin Sikh temple, devastated the country.
The shooting re-ignited the national debate on gun laws, including a push for more gun control regulations. With the National Rifle Association (NRA) calling for armed personnel at schools and more recent shootings, including one at Wyoming’s Casper College, still threatening the public, citizens are now torn between keeping gun laws as they are or amending them to become more strict.
The debate on guns has very real implications for public safety, even on college campuses where more than enough gun-related crimes have happened this year. From the death of three students at Auburn University to April’s shooting at Oikos University, the gun control issue is still very pertinent to college campuses, and it will be interesting to see how President Obama addresses it in the coming year.
Want more details? Turn to:
USA Today (Sandy Cook shooting coverage)
Washington Post (Deadliest U.S. shootings)