Campus Informer

Gay Student Beaten in Hate Crime; 25 Percent of New H.I.V. Cases Each Year Found in Young People

Posted Friday, November 30, 2012 in Campus Informer by Sydney Hofferth

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  • Gay Student Beaten in Hate Crime; 25 Percent of New H.I.V. Cases Each Year Found in Young People

Gay Student Beaten in Hate Crime. After buying snacks at a local convenience store with a friend, 19-year-old Nacrisha Cash of Florida Memorial University was beaten by a stranger. "I'll f*** your fat gay a** up," the alleged attacker yelled. "He told me, 'Oh you wanna be like a dude? I'm gonna beat you like one," recalled Cash. Because the attacker commented on her sexual orientation the investigation has turned into one of a far more serious nature: a hate crime. A spokesman for local police said of the attack, "Once the comments were made about her sexual orientation, it does raise the bar to a hate crime." The authorities are still searching for the suspect. [Huffington Post]

25 Percent of New HIV. Cases Each Year Found in Young People. According to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, one in four of the 50,000 new cases of H.I.V. every year occurs in people ages 13 to 24. In that demographic, 72 percent of new cases were found in sexually active gay men. Jon Cohen, a reporter for "Science" magazine, explained the phenomenon, saying that "young people don't have as much experience. And they need more education. And they also traditionally take more risks." The study was released days before World AIDS Day, which is on December 1. [PBS Newshour]

Two Students in Black Face Make Racist, Extremely Offensive Video. One current and one former student at the University of Minnesota Duluth made a Youtube video in blackface that resurfaced earlier this month. The students use racial stereotypes and offensive language, saying, "We true Negroes [...] We come from the black hood," among other things. University chancellors responded to the video, saying, "This is unacceptable behavior for anyone, and we at UMD are extremely unhappy to be associated with it in any way." The students say they were using brown facial cream when they decided to make the video over a year ago, which they "regret and are not happy about."  [Huffington Post]

Responding to Student Activism, Rutgers Cuts Ties With Adidas. After months of organizing an anti-Adidas campaign, Rutgers United Students Against Sweatshops won big this week with an announcement from Rutgers president that the university would cut ties with the sports gear manufacturer. The campaign focused on Adidas' failure to pay Indonesian workers severance, owing $1.8 million to date to 2,800 employees. "I applaud your commitment to workers in developing countries and your efforts to advocate on their behalf," the Rutgers president wrote. "I agree with you that Adidas' refusal to acknowledge its responsibilities . . . is not consistent with the values of this university." [Philadelphia Inquirer]

Sydney Hofferth is a Communications Intern for Campus Progress. You can follow her on twitter at @squidhoff10.

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