News in Brief

Bomb Threat on West Campus Proves to Be Hoax

Police closed a portion of west campus for more than three hours yesterday afternoon to investigate a possible bomb that turned out to be a hoax.

The area between Valley Life Sciences Building and Oxford Street was cordoned off just before 3 p.m. in response to the threat, said UC police Capt. Mitch Celaya.

A passerby called authorities to report a large, black, purse-like bag with lots of zippers sitting unattended in the middle of a pathway that goes through Eucalyptus Grove, Celaya said.

The package, which turned out to be harmless, bore a sign that read "boom", said UC Berkeley spokesperson Marie Felde.

Bomb technicians spent about three hours to ascertain if the package contained dangerous materials.

"Post-9/11, we take all these seriously," Celaya said.

Although the package was a hoax, the incident is still considered a crime, Felde said. Police will continue to investigate the matter and will seek to have whomever left the package pay for the cost of the investigation, she said.

Sonja Sharp

Board Approves Berkeley High Academic Choice Program

A revamped version of Berkeley High School's controversial Academic Choice program gained approval from the Berkeley school board last week.

The revised program will have new diversity regulations requiring the ethnic makeup of the program's participants to match that of the entire high school. The program was also approved by the high school's African

American Studies Department.

Academic Choice began in 2000 as a group of academically rigorous courses in English, history and economics that students could take as a cohesive program. As the program gained popularity, growing to 450 students in 2003, some parents and students pointed out the program's predominantly white enrollment and accused it of racism and elitism.

But when administrators announced that fewer than 300 students would be enrolled in Academic Choice for the Fall 2004 semester because of scheduling difficulties, Academic Choice supporters rallied to bolster the program.

The new blueprints for the program presented last week plan for expanded enrollment and changes to address the allegations of racism.

The program's designers hope that Academic Choice classes, which currently have more than 600 enrolled students, will grow to 840 students next year.

Robert McKnight, chair of the African American Studies program and an Academic Choice supporter, said the program was never elitist or racist.

"Academic Choice reflected the same diversity-or lack thereof-that you would find in the (Advanced Placement) classes," McKnight said.

He said the new diversity requirements, as well as the addition of African American Studies courses, would ensure diversity of ethnicity as well as academic level.

Boardmember Terry Doran, who abstained from voting on the program, said he was still uncertain about how the program would benefit all students, not just the most advanced.

Cindy Peng

Police Sting Targets Prostitution

Ten suspected prostitutes were arrested in an undercover sting operation along San Pablo Avenue in Berkeley Wednesday, police said.

The 10 females, between the ages 13 and 50 years old, were arrested after soliciting undercover police officers to perform sex acts for money, said Berkeley police Officer Joe Okies.

One woman was found with eight Valium pills, 13 doses of methadone and 38 OxyContin pills, Okies said. Several others had drug paraphernalia or outstanding warrants, he said.

Berkeley police conduct similar sting operations regularly based on increases in resident complaints of prostitution and related crimes. About 10 people are rounded up in each operation, Okies said.

Sonja Sharp

Tags: