Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to legal issues commonly encountered by students at Georgetown.

We the people…

Under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the government may not search a person or seize their effects in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a dorm room or a telephone booth, unless a judicial authority grants police or other agents of the state a specific authorization based on reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

Under the Exclusionary Rule, law enforcement may not use evidence against a person if it was obtained during the course of an illegal search.

General exceptions

These include a “stop and frisk” based on reasonable suspicion, seizure of contraband in plain view, search of a place in order prevent an emergency or secure volatile evidence, and searches conducted with the consent of the occupant.

Also, excessive noise, the smell of smoke, or any other indication of a potential safety risk will also allow any agent of the state to enter your room.

Students’ rights in dorms

Students have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their dorms, and the state may not violate it without warrant, period. There is no unified case law, but state and federal courts have held that the Fourth Amendment also applies when university officials are sworn officers of the state [1], they conduct searches accompanied by law enforcement [2], or when their primary purpose in conducting a search is to enforce of local law [3].

However, a housing contract can waive certain Fourth Amendment rights and allow University officials to enforce student conduct policy [4].

Several courts have also held that a university can legally turn over to police any evidence it obtains in the course of a search pursuant to its conduct policy [5].

Read the rest of this entry »

This week in Features, we introduce the freshmen to Six people to know at Georgetown. Hopefully the class of 2015 will never confuse Wingo’s Mike and Jennifer Altemus.

News reports on the struggle for student representation on the ANC. And Sam Buckley encourages students to run for office.

In Leisure, John Sapunor waxes nostalgic about the scaling back of the space program.

Sports previews the women’s soccer match-ups.

Meanwhile, Page 13 brings you the latest account from China.

In Voices, Alexa Lombardo tries to get her union-organizing dad some respect.

Ed Board praises coach John Thompson III for his leadership during the China trip.

Editor’s Note: We had tweeted earlier that VanDyke graduated in 2008. He actually graduated in 2004.

After Libyan rebels captured Tripoli late Tuesday, Securities Studies alum Matthew VanDyke (GRD ’04) escaped from the prison where Gadhafi’s government had held him in solitary confinement for about six months, the Balitmore Sun reported yesterday.

VanDyke, a freelance journalist, had gone to Libya in early March to cover the overthrow over the Gadhafi regime. He went missing sometime around March 12. This Wednesday, he contacted mother Sharon VanDyke and girlfriend Lauren Fischer from a borrowed cell phone.

“He sounded fine other than he said he thought maybe he lost his voice because he didn’t have anybody to talk to for six months,” VanDyke’s mother told the Sun.

Over the last several months, family members and government officials, including Representative C.A. Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), have been working to bring the South Baltimore native home.

While at Georgetown, VanDyke wrote a political column for the Hoya.

h/t Baltimore Sun, Photo by B.R.Q

We love Juliana Brint’s run-down of New Student Orientation so much that we’ve decided to republish it!

You don’t have to go to every NSO event, but try to attend a few. As you’ll quickly learn, events that are “required” in college aren’t mandatory in any sense of the word. If you need some time to unpack or shop for supplies, don’t worry about opting out of a few NSO programs. That said, NSO generally hosts some useful and entertaining events—and it’s not like there’s anything better to do during your first few days. Even the less-than-stellar events make for good conversation fodder.

Take your GOCard picture beforehand. The line for pictures will be wrapped around Darnall, and you’ll be sweaty and exhausted. You don’t want that vision of yourself plastered on your ID for the next four years.

Don’t worry if you don’t find a BFF the first few weeks. There’s lots of pressure to find your new college buddies right away, but don’t be too upset if it doesn’t immediately happen. Most of the people you end up hanging out with the first few weeks are totally random—either your OA group or your floormates or acquaintances of acquaintances—and there’s no guarantee you’ll have anything in common with them.

Sure, some people stick with their freshman floor friends for all four years, but many don’t. Give it a few weeks before you start stressing—most of the conversations you’ll be having your first few days will be really enthusiastic, but also really superficial.

Read the rest of this entry »

As part of its special Prefrosh Preview series, Vox invited Class of 2015 students to ask any burning questions they might have about the upcoming year. We’ve collected all your questions and provided responses to your most frequent queries below.

Do I have to read How to Read the Air and write the response paper?

Let’s just say that Vox does not want to be held responsible for a whole class of freshman skipping out on the Marino Family International Writers’ Academic Workshop.

The standard threat is that if you don’t complete the paper you will get a bad housing lottery number. That said, it seems highly unlikely that Housing would be able to coordinate with other University departments to that degree.

Are there any “hidden” places on campus or in the town that are often overlooked but are great for studying or hanging out?

As far as study spots go, alum Chris Heller’s post from last year provides a good inventory of spaces to crack open a book. I particularly enjoy Hariri (if I can find a room) or the Medical Library.

Otherwise, we really enjoy the observatory and other places mentioned in former Voice Editor-in-Chief Molly Redden’s 4/20 post. Other cool places to check out are the herb garden and experimental urban farm next to the Medical-Dental Building on the medical campus.

What is the best freshman dorm?

Most people will defend their freshman dorm. Between bathrooms in Village C, sinks and space in New South, and clusters and quiet in Harbin, they’re all kind of the same.

The exception is Darnall, whose residents usually have a masochistic obsession with hating their admittedly cramped, squalid conditions. Others will defend Darnall with an insistence bordering on Stockholm syndrome.

Read the rest of this entry »

Don’t be dissuaded from heading down to the National Mall once in a while: the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial opening this week on the Tidal Basin is a good bet.

In addition to a 30-foot statue of the civil rights activist, the complex features a ceremonial gateway and a wall of inspirational King quotes. The official dedication ceremony is on Sunday, so it would probably be best to pick another time to enjoy the serenity of the grounds.

Smithsonian and Foggy Bottom Metro stations are equidistant to the memorial, which sits in the sightlines of the Lincoln and Jefferson memorials on the Northwest bank of the Tidal Basin.

In the meantime, head over to Strathmore Metro station tonight at 7:00 p.m. for UkeFest 2011. The annual concert features such ukelele big-shots as Grammy winners Cathy Fink and Marcy Marxer. If you have your own ukelele, come early for the “pre-show strum” at 6:00 p.m. You could help the group break the world record for the largest ukelele ensemble!

If you’re looking for something to move you more physically, check out the events calendar at BloomBars in Columbia Heights. The arts and cultural center is rolling out a huge variety of events, from dance classes to poetry workshops, for Columbia Heights Day on Saturday. Classes are all ages and by donation.

Image by C-SPAN

Disclaimer: The information provided in this post is not intended to be legal advice, but merely conveys general information related to legal issues commonly encountered by students at Georgetown.

Recent high-profile drug busts at the University have brought the issue of police searches to the forefront.

These people may really have committed crimes, but false arrests do happen. Remember, the Department of Public Safety is generally looking out for public welfare, not individual rights.

We the people…

Under the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, the government may not search a person or seize their effects in a place where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as a dorm room or a telephone booth, unless a judicial authority grants police or other agents of the state a specific authorization based on reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.

Under the Exclusionary Rule, law enforcement may not use evidence against a person if it was obtained during the course of an illegal search.

General exceptions

These include a “stop and frisk” based on reasonable suspicion, seizure of contraband in plain view, search of a place in order prevent an emergency or secure volatile evidence, and searches conducted with the consent of the occupant.

Also, excessive noise, the smell of smoke, or any other indication of a potential safety risk will also allow any agent of the state to enter your room.

Students’ rights in dorms

Students have a reasonable expectation of privacy in their dorms, and the state may not violate it without warrant, period. There is no unified case law, but state and federal courts have held that the Fourth Amendment also applies when university officials are sworn officers of the state [1], they conduct searches accompanied by law enforcement [2], or when their primary purpose in conducting a search is to enforce of local law [3].

However, a housing contract can waive certain Fourth Amendment rights and allow University officials to enforce student conduct policy [4].

Several courts have also held that a university can legally turn over to police any evidence it obtains in the course of a search pursuant to its conduct policy [5].

Read the rest of this entry »

“Being the minority is scary,” muses Marianne Johnson, an American University student that is blogging about her internship experience on an AU-hosted network.

Vox thought it had seen the last of disastrously misinformed race commentary in Greater Greater Washington contributor Veronica Davis’ post about why black neighborhoods see low Capital Bikeshare usage (Her answer: “In general, African-Americans…are averse to colder temperatures”). But we were wrong.

Whereas our Tea Party brethren told tourists to stay off the Green line, Johnson is alright with going to these “scary” neighborhoods. But she has a couple of rules.

For example, Johnson has learned that you need to “fake it till you make it.” The “ghetto” people can smell fear, apparently. Remember: “Dreed = half ass presentation” [sic]. So, smile, “it confuses people.”And keep your phone on you because “A CELL PHONE WOULD ALLOW YOU TO CALL 911.”

In typical fashion, Johnson lumps all of Southeast into one whole. Keep in mind that Southeast includes Capitol Hill, Navy Yard, and Barney Circle west of the Anacostia River, as well as at least two dozen neighborhoods east of the river, including the Anacostia neighborhood itself. From her description, Johnson is probably somewhere around Capitol View.

“Words can not describe” how happy Johnson is to leave Southeast behind. We can only hope this means that she won’t be writing about it anymore.

Image by Peter Fitzgerald

Edit: The post has been updated to strike-out a misleading sentence. Johnson did not use the word “ghetto” in her post.

Don’t miss the Shakespeare Theatre Company’s annual free performance. This year they’re doing free showings of the Bard’s Julius Caesar starting tomorrow night through September 4. You can enter a ticket lottery or stand outside for the 200 free tickets being given away at the door. The shows will be at the company’s sleek and modern Sidney Harman Hall on 610 F Street, NW.

For the 21+ crowd, there’s D.C. Beer Week, with a slew of freebie opportunities. Tonight, be one of the first 50 people get to the Red Palace on 1210 H Street, NE, and get a free pint glass. Sam for the the Iron Horse Tap Room on 507 7th Street, NW. On Friday, there will be a free tasting of Breckenridge Brewery beers at D’Vines on 3103 14 Street, NW.

If free beer’s not your thing (of if you’ve already imbibed), head over to the Independent Film Series on Monday, August 23, at the Renaissance Hotel on 1143 New Hampshire Avenue, NW, near Dupont Circle. Also, check out some of the free events in Rock Creek Park’s Carter Barron Amphitheatre, including the 7th Annual DC Poetry in the Park.

Last month, 2011 recent grad Catherine Cook (MSB ’11) sold myYearbook.com, a social networking site she founded with her brother David, to Latin American counterpart Quepasa for $100 million, according to the Washington Post.

Cook told the Post that she and her brother started the site after moving to a new high school made it difficult to find friends. The site uses games, video chats, and other features to link users with potential acquaintances.

What began in 2005 as a local high school network of 400 subscribers today boasts over 32.7 million users in North America alone. Cook credits her interest in web entrepreneurship to the success of her brother Geoff, 33, in starting and selling two successful internet businesses.

“Watching Geoff build his two companies made Dave and I want to be entrepreneurs,” Cook said. “When we would compare it to our parents’ bring your child to work day, it was just so much cooler.”

Cook joins a long line of Georgetown-affiliated entrepreneurs, from Nicolas Jammet (MSB ’07), Nathaniel Ru (MSB ’07), and Jonathan Neman (MSB ’07), founders of Sweetgreen, to the founders of LivingSocial and Blackboard.

h/t Washington Post