Woman assaulted on public transit train while passengers sat idly by.
By Annika Henthorn News Reporter A woman last week was allegedly sexually assaulted on a public transit train in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This disturbing tragedy was heightened by the inaction of the passengers who did not intervene during the incident. SEPTA has released a statement calling it a “horrendous criminal act” that was observed by people who did not even alert authorities while it was transpiring. The police were only notified when a SEPTA employee finally realized what was happening. It was said by SEPTA General Manager, Leslie Richards, that the employee who reported the incident "probably didn't know exactly what they were seeing,” but continued to call authorities and report it. Police arrived three minutes later and removed the suspect from the victim. Alex Piquero, a criminologist and sociology professor at the University of Miami, spoke to CNN and revealed potential reasons for the bystanders' lack of assistance. The three reasons he listed were that “some people may have been concerned about retaliation, some people may have been concerned about being harmed themselves, and some people may have thought that someone else is going to intervene." However, Piquero told CNN’s John Avlon that “all three of those, in my view, John, are unacceptable." There are a variety of excuses why people let bad things happen, but none of them are sufficient enough to justify an assault that could have been prevented. Timothy Bernhardt, the Upper Darby Police Station Superintendent, agrees saying that “collectively, they could have gotten together and done something.” Police argued that those idly watching should have and could have done something to stop such a disgusting act from taking place publicly. Despite the alleged inaction, the passengers who witnessed the atrocity have been assured they will not be prosecuted. Not only does this encourage witnesses to testify against the suspect, but also, according to Jack Stollsteimer, the Delaware County District Attorney, passengers are "under no criminal obligation to intervene and put [themselves] at risk to stop a violent crime" from occurring. He also reiterated that regardless of the growing narrative in the media about the lack of inaction on the passenger’s part, “we have a security video from SEPTA that shows that was not the true narrative." Those that were on the bus when this took place were not videotaping the heinous crime for their own use. In actuality, two people were allegedly filming the incident, and they suspect that one of them sent in the video as an anonymous tip. However, the reasons for the second filmer are unclear. The suspect, Fiston M. Ngoy, 35, had a preliminary arraignment for charges of rape, sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault without consent, harassment, and more. He is currently held at the Delaware County Prison for 10% on $180,000 bail and had a hearing scheduled for October 25.
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As of November 1st, Contra Costa County is making new changes due to declines in cases and hospitalizations
By Kamryn Sobel News Reporter With reports of COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations on the decline in Contra Costa County, the mask mandate will be changing as of November 1st in certain indoor instances. Those who are fully vaccinated and are in eligible settings will be able to safely remove their masks without concern for others around them. Places where this mandate will be lifted include “controlled spaces not open to the general public, including offices, gyms and fitness centers, employee commuter vehicles, indoor college classes and organized gatherings in any other indoor setting, such as a religious gathering,” according to the Press Release from the county. Coinciding with this, employees, customers, etc., are to give proof of vaccination before being allowed to enter the building without facial coverings with a 100 person limit to that building at a time and these persons must gather frequently. Those present must also not have any COVID-19 symptoms. In settings that are open to the general public, such as bars, restaurants, and K-12 schooling institutions, masks will still be required. With a high of 227 hospitalizations in the peak of summer, the county has reported 69 cases at the time of the Press Release given on October 14th causing the change of the mandate. As seen in other counties, such as Marin and San Francisco County, they have made similar decisions after the decline in cases and hospitalizations in their given jurisdictions. As of October 27th, Contra Costa County is at a 72.7% vaccination rate with 1,197 active COVID-19 cases giving a -13.7% decrease over the past two weeks. Similar reports to help decline the virus and make for new changes in regards to health restrictions, many residents in the Contra Costa County “who received Johnson & Johnson or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines can now get booster doses – of any vaccine they prefer – to better protect themselves and their families this holiday season.” Once 80% of the county is vaccinated, places like bars and restaurants will be able to follow the new mask mandate. In response to the new health order by the county, Saint Mary’s states, “While we are encouraged by the declining case rate, regardless of the county’s decision, Saint Mary’s requires that you continue to wear your mask indoors on campus in public spaces throughout the term.” Saint Mary’s is also encouraging flu shots in order to keep the community and family members safe. These shots are provided by the Health and Wellness Center for $30 or at neighboring stores such as CVS and Rite Aid as well as healthcare providers. In the past 14 days, Saint Mary’s has also reported four new COVID-19 cases, with 34 cumulative cases over the fall semester. In terms of vaccination rates of the school community, staff are at 95%, faculty are at 98%, undergraduate students account for 97%, and graduate students are 96.3% vaccinated. For more updates and information on or regarding COVID-19, visit the Contra Costa Health Services website. For COVID-19 information and updates relating to Saint Mary’s, visit the COVID-19 News & Resources found on the Saint Mary’s website. Sources: https://www.coronavirus.cchealth.org https://www.stmarys-ca.edu/stay-masked-for-halloween—and-beyond On May 5th, 2015 the college wrote in detail about the implementation of water conservation strategies throughout campus, yet since then there have been no updates or improvements made.
By Eden Llodrá Sports Reporter It is 2021 and California is continuing on another year with immense drought. The question remains, what are people doing about it, and more specifically, what has Saint Mary’s done since addressing the issue in 2015? With more than twenty-two residence halls and 1,600 students living on campus, there is a lot of water usage. From showering to irrigating the grass fields, there is a lot of campus maintenance and human necessities that require water. Many areas on campus have been identified as non-irrigation sites and AstroTurf has been placed instead of real grass. All campus irrigation is automated and an on-campus weather station was installed to save water, energy, time, and money. In 2016 there was a 25% reduction in water use for landscaping and a 56% reduction in ballfield irrigation water use since 2009, by installing play turf field surfaces. In an interview with Joel Burley, a member of the Sustainability Committee, when asked about whether or not the committee has made any improvements since 2015, he said “There have been no recent big policy changes in regards to water use. Most efforts have been working on more solar power on campus.” This reiterated, that since 2015 there have been no updates or improvements made in the realm of water conservation. The reason for no progress being made in the last six years also has to do with Saint Mary’s finances. Burley said, “Everything is based on college finances and enrollment is down. In order for this to be viable, one would have to show Saint Mary’s that there will be economic and environmental benefits. The question also comes down to ‘how much do we save?” When asked about whether the dorms provide water conservation guidelines, Leilani Love, a junior, replied “There are no signs anywhere. I think it’s really important that students are made more aware of these issues since it isn't something that is being heavily promoted.” In 2015, the school mentioned reducing hot water wait times for showers by installing hot water circulation pumps, yet there are no signs educating students to shorten their shower times. From another perspective, a question that is posed is whether incoming students will find the campus attractive or not if the greenery is taken away. Burley says, “The worry is that more native plants and less grass might be unappealing to new students coming to campus and currently enrollment is already down.” The improvement of water conservation ends up coming down to the level of financial security the college has. |
StaffMadison Sciba '24, Archives
November 2023
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