Weekly College News Roundup: Santa Monica College Shooting & New Opportunities for Afghan Student

The past week brought tragedy and remembrance to one college campus in California and hope for a student coming to Vermont. Read on for this week’s top college headlines.

los-angeles-shootingFive Dead After Horrific College Shooting in Los Angeles

#Crime

A young man who lived near Santa Monica College in L.A. murdered three bystanders, his father, and his brother before being killed by police in the college library. As the victims were remembered during this week’s graduation ceremony, more information has come to light about the shooter’s weapon and past:

“The assault-style rifle used by a Santa Monica gunman to kill five people last week appears to have been put together using component parts… the semi-automatic weapon appears to have been built with parts that are legal to obtain, but put together make the rifle illegal in California.

“[The gunman]’s last reported contact with law enforcement was seven years ago when bomb-making materials were found at his house during a search prompted by threats to students, teachers and campus police officers at Olympic High…” – CBS News

The deadly incident brings the total number of school-related shootings in America to at least 12.

Afghani Civil Rights Activist Gets Help From US Students

#World

Ali Shahidy has been actively involved in furthering civil rights in his home country of Afghanistan, and with only $8500 remaining for his tuition, students at Norwich University in Vermont are helping him reach his goal.

“While his family struggled to get by, Shahidy found a way to excel at school. He fashioned notebooks out of posters and flyers from political campaigns. When electricity to their home was shut down every night at 10 p.m., he literally burned the midnight oil – doing homework by the light of a lamp. When he became the first member of his family to graduate high school, he was near the top of his class.” – Fox News

Ali’s inspiring story is the kind of thing that Afghanistan needs. After decades of war, the country is on the verge of independence as American troops prepare to withdraw in 2014.

100 Pounds of Marijuana Found Near Nothwestern’s Chicago Campus

#Crime

Photo by "it was 3 a.m." on Flickr.com

Photo by “it was 3 a.m.” on Flickr.com

More than 100 lbs. of Marijuana (valued at over $100,000) was found in an Evanston, IL resident’s recycling bin this week:

“On Saturday afternoon, a resident called police after discovering “suspicious items” in a recycling container in the 1000 block of Brown Avenue, police said. When officers looked inside the 50-gallon container, they found nine packaged blocks of marijuana having a total weight of approximately 100 pounds and a street value of more than $100,000.” – The Chicago Tribune

The investigation into who left the pot there and why is still ongoing, but police are certain that this find will put a strain on the marijuana trade near Northwestern’s campus.

7 Things High School Seniors Should Know About College

#Tips

The New York Times’ college blog has released their list of the most important things high school seniors should know about college. As expected, much of the emphasis of this advice is on handling the new-found independence that college brings:

“You need to be your own boss. Figure out when things need to be done and do them, week by week. The professor or teaching assistant might remind the class when the exam is or when the paper is due, but no one will contact you when you have missed the test or have not handed in the paper.” – The New York Times Choice Blog

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