As the spring semester approaches, The Brown and White reflects on its biggest news stories of fall 2017. The following six stories were selected by our editors as having the largest impact on the Lehigh community.
Lehigh community petitions to rescind Trump’s honorary degree
By Klaudia Jazwinska | Aug. 16
Just over a week before the beginning of the fall semester, a petition to rescind Donald Trump’s honorary Lehigh degree went viral among students, parents and alumni. The petition, created by alumna Kelly McCoy, ’17, garnered more than 20,000 supporters. However, on Oct. 27, the board of trustees decided to take “no action” in regard to Trump’s honorary degree.
Editorial: Ni de aquí, ni de allá
By The Brown and White Editorial Board | Sept. 10
Trump announced the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program on Sept. 5, and in response, the Cultural Greek Council held a rally in support of DACA. To express the impact of the DACA repeal, The Brown and White‘s editorial board met with a student named Julio to learn about his experiences as a DACA recipient at Lehigh.
Lafayette student’s death was related to alcohol
By Klaudia Jazwinska and Rebecca Wilkin | Sept. 14
Lafayette freshman McCrae Williams died Sept. 11 after sustaining a head injury two days earlier while drinking. An investigation found no evidence of hazing, nor proof that other students were aware of his head injury. This was the second alcohol-related death of a Pennsylvania college student in 2017, following the death of Penn State student Timothy Piazza.
Police address rumors about off-campus patrolling
By Emily Ward and Klaudia Jazwinska | Sept. 21
Following the arrests of 59 people at an off-campus Phi Kappa Theta fraternity party and additional alcohol-related arrests and hospitalizations in the beginning of September, rumors circulated campus about off-campus police patrolling. Lehigh University Police Department Chief Edward Shupp, who retired Jan. 2 after 38 years of service, addressed rumors by clarifying the difference in LUPD and Bethlehem Police Department jurisdictions and showing our reporters body camera footage of parties and drunk students.
Dear World fosters storytelling, conversations at Lehigh
By Danielle Bettermann and Casey Farmer | Oct. 1
The international portrait and storytelling project Dear World hosted a two-day event on Lehigh’s campus at the end of September. Members of Dear World held photoshoot sessions that allowed students, faculty and staff to express themselves through personal stories and hosted a live storytelling presentation in Zoellner Arts Center’s Baker Hall. Many students shared their portraits and stories on social media such as Instagram and Facebook.
Lehigh comes back to defeat Lafayette 38-31 in The Rivalry and wins PL title
By John Lindenau | Nov. 18
In the 153rd meeting of The Rivalry, the Mountain Hawks came from behind to defeat the Lafayette Leopards for the third year in a row. The win also named the Mountain Hawks Patriot League Champions for the second year in a row.
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