Week in Review

• A janitor thwarted an attempted theft at the IU School of Music Oct. 10. Kaylif Brad Bennett, the custodian, was injured during a scuffle with the would-be burglar as the suspect tried to gain access to a room that, until recently, contained a vault. The vault was moved in light of current security issues. The music school reported Oct. 6 that its master keys have been missing for over a month. IU Police Department Lt. Jerry Minger said there seemed to be no sign of forcible entry leading some officers to believe the burglar used a key to enter.\nA $500 Canon digital camera was also stolen from the music school Wednesday. The camera belonged to Paul Elliot, a voice teacher in the school. There were no signs of forcible entry in the theft.\nIU Risk Management also reported that students who had property stolen in the music school thefts will not be reimbursed by the University. Faculty members must have their property insured and will only be repaid for any amount not covered by their insurance.\n• Pi Kappa Phi fraternity was suspended Oct. 10, one week after a 19-year-old sophomore pledge was hospitalized for alcohol poisoning. Sophomore Lucas Temple, who was pledging the fraternity, was hospitalized Oct. 3, following an incident at Big Brother Night. The Interfraternity Council placed another suspension on the fraternity Tuesday night. Pi Kappa Phi is now suspended from all social and greek activities until the greek judicial council makes a ruling. \n• The Monroe County Clerk's office began questioning 200 IU fraternity and sorority members last week about mail-in ballot applications submitted for the upcoming election. Members of Acacia, Phi Gamma Delta, Alpha Chi Omega, Chi Phi and Delta Gamma claimed on their applications that they are working from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on election day and therefore will be unable to go to the polls. Monroe County Republican Chairman Martin Stephans denounced local Democrats' questioning of the absentee ballots. At a press conference Thursday, Stephens said Democrats are calling the applications into question in order to help their Democratic City Clerk candidate Regina Moore. \n• The NCAA has proposed a new set of academic standards to address graduation rates at universities. The proposal will no longer count athletes who transfer from an institution in good standing against that university's graduation rate. Current federal standards consider anyone that has transferred to or from a college to not have graduated. If schools have poor graduation rates, the NCAA punishes schools with lost scholarships or a ban on postseason play.\n• The IU Physical Plant is developing new ways to establish job order contracts on campus, which has some workers concerned. The University is working with Gordian Group, a consulting firm that would help IU streamline the bidding process for hiring workers, said Physical Plant director Hank Hewetson. Randy Pardue, president of the IU Workers Union, said the outside contractors could cost IU employees their jobs. Hewetson said workers shouldn't be concerned about their jobs because the intent is to develop new methods of getting the same contracts.