2008 Woodie Awards
All 10 former members of the Eta chapter of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity who were charged in last spring's hazing incident were cleared of criminal charges. The Orleans Parish District Attorney's office announced this week that all of the aggravated second-degree battery charges would be dropped.
The School of Liberal Arts was recently awarded two prestigious grants totaling $2.05 million that aim to support faculty recruitment and research programs. The grants come as a pleasant surprise to the university as the School of Liberal Arts welcomes a new dean, completing the transition of the school begun by Tulane's Renewal Plan.
Last weekend, students at the Homecoming football tailgating events discovered that a minor in possession citation can quickly kill a buzz. Students received MIPs at Tulane tailgating events at both the Superdome and Homecoming in City Park. Undercover agents from the Louisiana Office of Alcohol and Tobacco Control come to Tulane games, ask for identification when they see students with cups or bottles and write them $180 citations on the spot, often without verifying that the students' drinks actually contain alcohol.
Arab comedian Dean Obeidallah performed before a packed audience at Dixon Hall Tuesday as part of the Tulane Reading Project. Obeidallah, born in New Jersey to a Palestinian father and Italian-American mother, has appeared on TV multiple times on shows including the Axis of Evil Comedy Tour and Saturday Night Live.
Tulane celebrated class reunions, school spirit and returning traditions during Homecoming 2008 last week. The week-long event began with daily activities for students, then expanded to include alumni and parents for the weekend. Each day of Homecoming Week included at least one major event, involved the McAlister Mile race, an outdoor showing of "The Sandlot" and several concerts, including one by Reel Big Fish and the Benjy Davis Project.
The university hosted students' parents during the annual Family and Homecoming Weekend this past week. Nearly 600 parents participated in the different events hosted by Tulane this year, including the Homecoming football game. In addition to parents, many students invited siblings and other family members to New Orleans for the weekend.
This week Tulane's LGBT Organization MOSAIC held a variety of events to celebrate Coming Out Week leading up to Coming Out Day tomorrow. The Tulane chapter of MOSAIC is the oldest continuously operating LGBT organization in the state of Louisiana. According to senior Jason Hellinger, MOSAIC president, the overarching goal of MOSAIC is "to provide an open forum so that people will feel safe on Tulane's campus, as well as to provide social opportunities [for Tulane's LGBT population].
Nicole Cooley, this year's Florie Gale Arons Poet, gave a reading of her work in the Lavin-Bernick Center Monday evening. Cooley, daughter of Tulane creative writing professor Peter Cooley, has already released two books of poetry, "Resurrection" and "The Afflicted Girls.
Tulane University prides itself on its commitment to public service, and recently hosted a speaker to encourage greater involvement. Peace Corps Director Mark Schneider spoke in the Woldenberg Art Center Tuesday to mobilize student activism. "Mark Schneider has been an active member of the Peace Corps, the Pan American Health Organization and the International Crisis group," said Laura Moshler, a junior transfer student at Tulane who, as part of the university's community service scholars program, helped introduce Mr.
Wendy Kopp, founder and CEO of Teach for America, spoke to students and community members in McAlister Auditorium Tuesday night. TFA is an 18-year-old organization that trains recent college graduates to be teachers and places them in some of the country's lowest-scoring school districts for two years.
The ExxonMobil Foundation donated $1.6 million to institute Advanced Placement classes and incentive programs at New Orleans public high schools this month. ExxonMobil gave the money to the Cowen Institute, which in turn will manage both the money and the local programs.
Russian scientist investigated for aiding Iranian nuclear program Inspectors at the International Atomic Energy Agency are trying to determine if a Russian scientist advised Iranian scientists on nuclear experiments. According to sources, the scientist appears to have worked on his own, not on behalf of the Russian government.
Scandalized Political Operative Reports to Jail Stan "Pampy" Barré, a restaurateur and former New Orleans police officer who was involved in a major city scandal during former mayor Marc Morial's administration, reported to jail in Florida Tuesday. Barré was sentenced to five years in prison in July for stealing over $1 million from a city energy contract with Johnson Controls Inc.
Up 'til Dawn letter-writing campaign Tulane community members are invited to help address letters to raise funds for St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital today from 12 - 10 p.m. The event is free of charge and will take place in the Qatar Ballroom of the Lavin-Bernick Center.
Criminal trespass Officers were dispatched to a residence hall in response to a complaint that a resident was acting as if she was high or drunk Sept. 25. When officers arrived at the resident's room, they noticed a black male in her dorm. The black male was told that he was not supposed to be on Tulane property, handcuffed and advised of his Miranda rights.
Jason Cooper, a 2008 Tulane alum, has been named "Louisiana Bachelor of the Year" by Cosmopolitan magazine. Cooper is now in the running for the "Cosmopolitan Magazine 2008 Bachelor of the Year," a title that comes with a $10,000 prize. Cooper's sister's roommate and friend heard about the magazine's call for entries and entered him in the contest last spring "as a joke," he said.
