Students React to Lawsuit Against HPU

By Holly Strom

Robert Tipton, Jr.
www.tributes.com

HIGH POINT, N.C. - It was early on the morning of March 26, 2012, when Robert Eugene Tipton, Jr., was found dead.

One Fateful Night

The 22-year-old High Point University student and Delta Sigma Phi fraternity pledge was invited to a brother's off-campus apartment on March 25 for a "counseling session." Upon finding Tipton the next morning, High Point Police investigated the death but found no evidence of foul play.

Despite bruising and brain hemorrhaging discovered in an autopsy of Tipton, the North Carolina state medical examiner determined these to be superficial and found the cause of death to be "oxymorphone poisoning" -- in layman's terms, a drug overdose involving powerful prescription painkillers.

For the next two years, friends remembered time spent with Tipton and the case remained closed -- or so everyone thought. For his family, it wasn't over. They needed answers.

Searching For Closure

In April of 2013, Tipton's mother hired a private investigator and released the following advertisement in the High Point Enterprise, offering a reward of $10,000 for any information about the night Tipton died.

archive.digtriad.com

On March 19, 2014, nearly two years to the day after the tragedy, Tipton's estate filed a lawsuit against HPU, alleging that the university knew about hazing and violent battery that may have contributed to his death.

Other defendants in the suit include Delta Sigma Phi Fraternity Inc., HPU security director Jeff Karpovich, fraternity brother Marshall Jefferson and fraternity brother Michael Qubein, who is also the son of university president Nido Qubein.

Students React

Delta Sigma Phi, High Point University
www.hpusigs.com

Within days of the lawsuit's announcement, the HPU chapter of Delta Sigma Phi's activities were suspended and the fraternity's letters were removed from the house.

News of the suit and Delta Sig's suspension spread across campus like wildfire, leaving students with mixed opinions (all names have been changed).

Lauren Thomas, a student at HPU and close friend of Tipton's, says that the whole situation is devastating. "The night before he died he was at a friend's off-campus apartment, but that's all I knew about what was going on. He called me at 1:30 a.m. stone cold sober asking me about a paper. The next day I was informed that he had passed away. I thought it was a sick pledge week joke."

Thomas goes on to say that she was told Tipton died from a bad mixture of drugs and alcohol. "What really upset me was the fact that the people who pushed this mixture were people he previously called his 'best friends.' I think the lawsuit against them is completely justified."

However, many students have argued that the Tipton family waited too long to file a lawsuit. "It's not going to happen now," says student Hannah Smith.

Katie Johnson agrees. "I think it's unfair that his mother waited two years and she's just going to be in more pain no matter the outcome, because either way her son's not coming home. I just don't see the point in trying to get redemption because that could cause more pain."

"This is exactly the reason that fraternities, schools and even the government have such strict rules on hazing," reasons HPU student Alex Benson. "We will never know if the HPU chapter of Delta Sig was turning things around because they were never given the opportunity, but sometimes there are things that just can’t be repaired." 

Benson goes on to say that the lawsuit should be a wake-up call. "It’s an unfortunate fact and this should be a call for Greek Life everywhere to fight hazing even harder, so things like this never happen."

"I am shocked this is happening now and I feel for the family," a source close to the fraternity says. "The brothers of Delta Sigma Phi are good men. I can't believe nor do I think that they could have intentionally caused the death of a brother. All I've seen is love and respect toward Rob."

Although Tipton's family still feels as though they need answers, Thomas says she has accepted his passing. "Rob always ended phone calls with 'see ya later, love you,'" she says. "What gives me peace is the fact that the last words we spoke were that we loved each other."

"Tropes Vs. Women" with Anita Sarkeesian

By Holly Strom

Screenshot of one of Sarkeesian's videos.

HIGH POINT, N.C. - "The world is made up of stories, not of atoms." So begins Anita Sarkeesian's presentation about the fight against sexism in video games.

Sarkeesian, a world famous media critic, was invited to give a speech at High Point University by the school's Women and Gender Studies and Communication departments on Thursday night. She discussed not only the sexism that was and is present in video games throughout history and how she fought against that, but also the backlash the she received because of her opinions.

As the creator of the "Feminist Frequency" blog, Sarkeesian's face is recognized by gamers around the world. In 2009, she created a video blog series titled "Tropes vs. Women in Video Games" that examines video game tropes that poorly represent women.

Sarkeesian's successful Kickstarter campaign.

The blog quickly gained notoriety when Sarkeesian began a Kickstarter campaign in an effort to raise money for it. Although the blog gained nearly 3,000 supporters, Sarkeesian also gained many haters.

 As Sarkeesian states, she was "viciously attacked by a cyber mob" on various social media platforms: Twitter, YouTube, Facebook and more. She was the victim of email, website and Wikipedia hacks. She also had her personal information leaked, which led to people calling her, going to her house and threats of harm.

Sarkeesian was also impersonated by haters who created fake profiles under her name, made up quotes and pretended to have insider information all in an effort to garner more hate towards her. People began vandalizing photos of Sarkeesian and posting them on the Internet.

A vandalized photo of Sarkeesian with the title
"Beat Up Anita Sarkeesian."

Despite the harassment that Sarkeesian faces on a daily basis, she continues to speak out against what she feels is unacceptable.

Sarkeesian discussed in her lecture a few different tropes that she disagrees with, the most common of which is the "damsel in distress" trope. This trope, Sarkeesian says, makes women look weak and prevents them from being the heroes they can be.

Sarkeesian disagrees with these tropes because she claims that they "perpetuate the myth that men are entitled to women's sexualized bodies."

She went on to say that, while she loves playing video games, she is constantly disappointed in the sexualizing and demeaning of female characters and that is the reason she continues to fight for equality in gaming.

Audience reactions to the lecture were mixed. Nicole Forman, a student at HPU, said, "I thought that it was interesting but I feel like for me, because I'm not a gamer, I didn't fully understand her points."

Melanie Thompson, another HPU student, had a similar opinion. "I understand and respect the points she was trying to make in terms of the feminist aspect of it, but I don't play video games so I didn't really get the connection."

Ryan Dillon, on the other hand, is a gamer and says he was able to connect with the lecture more. "It really made me think about the games I'm playing, and I see now how much sexism and sexualizing of the characters there really is in the gaming world. It was really interesting, definitely something I'm going to keep in the back of my mind."

For more information on Sarkeesian and her media critiques, please visit her blog Feminist Frequency.

Paws for a Cause

Modern Technology Becomes a Detective

By Holly Strom

HIGH POINT, N.C. - It was a recreational game of basketball just like any other, up until Eric Strom grabbed his belongings to leave the gym's court.

The then-16-year-old immediately noticed something was missing: his iPhone.


Technology More Advanced Than Ever

In today's society, you can't walk down the street without seeing people's thumbs flying across their cell phone's keyboard or hear people having a conversation with the phone practically attached to their ear.

Technology is everywhere.

This omnipresence of everything technological has its many advantages. Everyday things become accessible at the touch of your fingertips, from banking and social media to gas prices and nearby restaurant information.

Many people view this technology boom as a good thing; however, it does have its disadvantages as well.

Related: How Technology Makes Us Vulnerable (CNN)

http://us.norton.com/cybercrimereport

The Reason Behind Crime

People around the world have begun to worship modern technology to an extreme.

Top-of-the-line technological items are often the reason behind crimes such as muggings, robberies, and even murders, simply so criminals can get their hands on the newest "thing".

Another aspect of technology-based crime is cybercrime, which is crime that is conducted via a computer network such as the Internet.

Norton AntiVirus, a company dedicated to protecting and removing malware on computers, reported in 2012 that more than one million people become victims of cybercrime each day.


Helping Solve the Crimes It Causes

While technology may have its disadvantages and can potentially attract crime, it is also quickly becoming a method that authorities turn to in order to help solve crime.

According to the FBI, researchers developed a mathematical algorithm in 2010 that calculates future crime locations.

Police officers in Santa Cruz, Calif., began using a program called PredPol in 2012 that calculates times and locations of crimes based on previous crime incidents. Within the first year of using the program, the city saw a 19% decrease in burglaries.

There are also ways that civilians are able to solve crimes. One very common example that authorities and civilians alike use to solve cases of stolen iPhones is the application called "Find My iPhone".


Lost Phone: Found

In Strom's case, he was able to use the "Find My iPhone" app through his computer to locate his stolen phone.

His situation is a perfect example of how constantly-improving technology is both a burden and a blessing.

Support Pours Out for Slain Connecticut Teen, Suspected Killer Arrested in High Point

Support Pours Out For Slain Connecticut Teen, Suspected Killer Arrested in High Point http://sfy.co/sOty #storify #joeyjuicyklett #legendsneverdie

High Point Wreck Kills Three

By Holly Strom

HIGH POINT, N.C. – Around midnight on the morning of January 21, Demarco Jackson, of High Point, was riding his bicycle on Main Street when he saw a vehicle pass him at what he described as "between 100 and 150 miles per hour." Seconds later, he heard a crash.

The crash site.
High Point Police Department File Photos

Jose Gonzalez-Deleon, the backseat passenger in the vehicle, is described by a friend who wished to remain unnamed as "one of the best people I've ever known. He was always down to have fun, everyone loved him... I'm still in shock. I never would have expected this to happen."

Gonzalez-Deleon, 29, along with 19-year-old driver Edgar Jehovanni Ramos and 39-year-old front seat passenger Etzel Martinez Cruz, were all ejected from the vehicle upon impact.

Authorities say the bodies were so badly damaged that the victims' families were called in to confirm their identities.

The car involved, a 2003 Audi, was completely "disintegrated. [The police] picked it up in pieces," said High Point Police Capt. Michael Kirk.

Another officer, an Afghanistan veteran, described the scene as looking like it had been hit by a 105mm Howitzer heavy artillery machine.

Using Department of Transportation traffic cameras, police were able to perform time and distance calculations to determine the speed of the vehicle before it crashed: an astounding 106 mph.

Authorities state that accidents of this nature are atypical of the downtown High Point area, where the speed limit is 35 mph. Police are still investigating the cause of the crash, but suspect that alcohol may have played a role. They say they have been able to rule out racing and foul play.

High Point Police Department File Photo

The unoccupied building that the car crashed into is still in good condition; the pole that the the car made contact with sustained minimal damage, and the building is still structurally sound.

Most of the repairs that will take place will pertain to replacing the plate glass windows, which shattered when debris from the car went through them.

Four Ways to Stay Safe

By Holly Strom

A Raleigh man was mugged and assaulted while walking alone at night, causing him to lose two-thirds of his blood. According to the High Point Police Department, there are four easy tips to remember to keep you safer while walking at night.

HIGH POINT, N.C. -- It was 2 a.m. on the night of Nov. 1 when Will Jacobs, 21, left a Halloween party at his friend's apartment in Raleigh. At 6-foot-4-inches tall he towers above most and could intimidate even the toughest of people, so he didn't think twice about walking down the dark street alone. Before he knew it, four unknown men mugged and assaulted him, pushing him through a storefront window.

Two weeks and seven hours of surgery later, Jacobs is still on three different pain medications and will have his lower arm in a cast for at least six months. The glass window he fell through severed the tendons in his left wrist, leaving his thumb permanently immobile, and he lost so much blood he could have died.

High Point, although 90 minutes away from the site of Jacobs' assault, is no stranger to crimes. Within a two-mile radius of High Point University, 115 crimes occurred over the course of 18 days, between Nov. 1 and Nov. 18 of this year. According to CrimeMapping.com, 56 of those crimes were robberies, thefts, assaults, or homicides. This averages 3.1 personal injury crimes every day.

Given the prevalence of crimes in the High Point area, it's important that people learn how to protect themselves. According to Capt. Tim Ellenberger of the High Point Police Department, there are four easy steps to staying safe at night.


1. Step One: Don't Walk Alone

When walking around at night--or even during the day--try to have someone else with you. There is safety in numbers, and predators are less likely to attack a group of people. Even if you don't know anyone, walking in a highly populated area decreases your chances of being a victim assault or theft.

2. Step Two: Stay in Well-Lit Areas

Dark streets or areas are easy places for crimes to happen -- there's nobody around to witness it, or if there are, they'll have difficulty seeing it. Stay in areas that are well-lit and well-traveled to decrease your chances of being attacked.

3. Step Three: Have a Cell Phone Handy

Make sure, no matter when or where you're walking, you have a phone easily accessible to call for help if needed. On the same token, have someone on speed dial that you can easily call if something were to happen.

4. Step Four: Walk Confidently

It's a proven fact that walking confidently deters predators. They are more likely to attack someone who appears timid and like they won't fight back, so walking with your head held high and at a brisk pace will help deter any possible assailants.


When asked whether he would reconsider walking alone in the future, Jacobs said, "Absolutely. One stupid mistake of walking by myself ended up causing way more damage than I could have ever anticipated, so yeah. I would definitely reconsider walking alone." Keep these tips with you at all times. They could make the difference between being safe and being sorry.

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For more information on staying safe, please visit:

Family Watchdog: National Sex Offender Registry
Women's Safety and Self-Defense Tips