CAMPUS BRIEFS: Monday, October 5, 1998

Two students sent to HUP for over-drinking In the first incident, a male freshman in Stouffer College House was transported to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday after drinking several shots of vodka in his dorm, according to a person familiar with the situation. Friends called for help after the freshman vomited repeatedly and drifted in and out of consciousness. The student's condition was not considered serious, and he left the hospital at around 9 a.m. Saturday, the source said. Hospital officials refused to comment. The next night, another male University student was hospitalized after drinking at a house party on the 3900 block of Baltimore Avenue. Witnesses said they saw the student stumbling around outside and vomiting repeatedly before the ambulance arrived. There have now been at least five students hospitalized because of alcohol-related illnesses this semester -- at least one on each of the past four weekends. University officials said last week that they believed that the reason for the hospitalizations is that students are becoming increasingly aware of the potential consequences of alcohol poisoning and are quicker to get help for their friends. -- Ben Geldon DA to appeal ruling on U. Police jurisdiction The District Attorney's office is appealing a judge's ruling to suppress evidence obtained by University Police in a May 1997 traffic stop which led to robbery charges against the three men in the car, Assistant DA Robin Bush said at a hearing Friday. On September 3, Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Ricardo Jackson said the stop on the 3900 block of Chestnut Street was illegal because the street does not lie within University "premises." The ruling contradicts Penn's definition of the University Police jurisdiction: the area from Market Street to Baltimore Avenue and from the Schuylkill river to 43rd Street. "We think an appeal is appropriate," said University spokesperson Ken Wildes. Robert Brown Jr., attorney for defendant Lewis Cephus, said he was not surprised at the district attorney's decision to appeal. "The DA has taken similar stances in other cases," he said. The next hearing before Jackson will be on January 6. -- Andrew Ribner Phi Kap house suffers minor damage in fire A small, accidental fire broke out Friday night inside the Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity house at 36th Street and Locust Walk, students and Philadelphia Fire Department officials said. No one was injured, and the house suffered minimal damage. At about 9 p.m., a poster caught fire when it fell on an unattended candle, according to Phi Kap President Jeffrey Snyder, a Wharton senior. The poster then ignited a nearby folded American flag, he said. One of the brothers then extinguished the blaze. A Fire Department spokesperson said firefighters initially responded to the call with four engines, two ladders and two battalion chiefs. All of the vehicles except for two engines were recalled when it was discovered that the fire was not as serious as had previously been supposed. Firefighters remained at the house until it was clear that the fire had been fully extinguished and that the brothers were not in any danger. The Phi Kap fire comes about three weeks after a blaze broke out at the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity house near 39th and Spruce streets in what police suspect was an arson. Authorities are still investigating that incident. -- Alexandra Minkovich