Boston police raided tents on Boston Common early Monday morning and handed out scores of citations for trespassing. A group of more than 200 students, citizens, and clergy gathered Sunday night on the massive green space in front of the Massachusetts State House to draw attention to climate change. The group does the same "sleep-out" every Sunday, but this one caught the attention of the wrong group—the police.

The sleep-outs, led by Harvard University students, are part of the Leadership Campaign, a monthlong, student-led effort to raise awareness of climate change, the Harvard Crimson reports. The outdoors sleeping events are intended to draw attention and decrease electricity use. The group behind the campaign wants Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick to introduce a bill that would power Massachusetts with 100 percent renewable energy, the report says.

As the country celebrates its military veterans this week, the University of Florida has some future veterans to appreciate. The school's Air Force ROTC won the national Right of Line Award, given to the program judged best of its size, the Independent Florida Alligator reports.

Some 50 schools were up for the award, which is based on training, education, and recruitment, the Alligator says. The University of Florida's Air Force ROTC program has its student members participate in field training, leadership forums, and career fairs with current Air Force officers. The program won the same award in 2007 but was ineligible for the award in 2008 because of contest rules.

A dozen University of Pittsburgh students will be forced to stay in alternative housing after a fire on Saturday night damaged a university-owned, off-campus apartment building, the Pitt News reports.

Pitt spokesman John Fedele told the Pitt News that the school is looking for housing for 12 displaced students. The apartment building, called Centre Plaza Apartments, holds 197 students and is almost 2 miles northeast of campus.

Fedele had not heard of any injuries in the fire as of Saturday night, according to the Pitt News.

Students told the Pitt News that the south side of the building received the most damage. Two students told the newspaper that 2 inches of water had collected in their third-floor apartment before they evacuated the building.

According to firefighters responding to the scene, the fire was already out by the time they arrived. Students were allowed back into the building to see if their property was salvageable, the report says.

A restoration crew was sent to the building on Saturday, but no further details have been released yet from Pittsburgh.

After outcry from the Howard University community, it looks as if a long-standing pillar of research will remain open at the Washington, D.C., university.

Howard University's Chief Academic Office released a statement saying that it would keep the Moorland-Spingarn Research Center open, the Hilltop reports.

If you get hired by the University of Akron, you may not have to provide fingerprints or a DNA sample anymore. The school is reconsidering its controversial criminal background check policy, the Chronicle of Higher Ed reports.

The general counsel at the university, Ted Mallo, will propose new language in the policy at a Board of Trustees meeting on November 20, the report says. Mallo wants to change the policy to say that information from law enforcement about new hires may be provided for the criminal background checks, and he wants to strike the DNA sampling from the policy altogether.

As if the University of Mississippi needs more attention given to the subject, a segregationist has chimed in on the recent controversy surrounding a student chant.

The chant, sung by some students at sporting events, includes the phrase "The South will rise again." School administrators, faculty, alumni, donors, and coaches have asked that the chant no longer be used, but Richard Barrett, whom the Southern Poverty Law Center calls a "white supremacist," told University of Mississippi President Dan Jones to back off, the Daily Mississippian reports.

Barrett took on a previous University of Mississippi president, Robert Khayat, in 2000 over a ban on waving the Confederate flag at Ole Miss's stadium, the report says. Barrett says students should have the right to say whatever they want.

"Democracy is offensive to tyrants, but I am glad it is," Barrett tells the Daily Mississippian. "Mississippi is the most democratic state in the union. It is our legacy from the post-Reconstruction era. We have more people elected, we have second primaries and runoffs to prevent pluralities from ruling and minorities from lording over the majority. What a virtue of being a Mississippian, and what a lesson to America."

The SPLC says Barrett's stance on the issue is no surprise.

"Barrett's been around forever, and he's been involved in lots of protests in support of racist ideals," Heidi Beirich of SPLC tells the Daily Mississippian.

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Handicapped students at Stanford University aren't exactly happy—and for good reason.

Disabled students at Stanford University don't have easy access to every classroom and building on campus, the Stanford Daily reports. Dorm access and double doors on campus have caused particular difficulty for some.

"Only one door can be opened from the outside sometimes, and sometimes it is the left door rather than the right door," Nicole Torcolini, a sophomore who is blind, tells the Daily. "This is problematic for two main reasons: First, it encourages . . . not following the usual pattern of traffic of traveling on the right, causing more confusion. Second, doors opening on the left do not work well for my guide dog."

According to the Daily, it's not just moving around buildings and classrooms that's difficult. The campus isn't easily navigable, either.

"Sometimes the only way to get somewhere requires walking in or across a bike lane, which can be rather dangerous, particularly for my guide dog," Torcolini tells the Daily. "Furthermore, I have found that most bikers do not take precautions to watch for pedestrians."

Resident Fellow Clyde Moneyhun says it's easy to understand Torcolini's frustration.

"The trouble is that it takes only one thoughtless act—one bike left in front of the stairs, one big, empty box left in a hallway, one couch left in the walkway in the lounge—to create accessibility problems," Moneyhun says. "What we need is more diligence on the part of all the residents in making sure that everybody who lives here has equal access to all parts of the building."

The university created a group to help disabled students deal with issues like these on campus: the Disabilities and Accessible Education Committee. The panel is meant to provide a way for disabled students to voice their concerns.

"We are trying to make disability resources more cohesive for students so that campus is easier to access," says committee Cochair Julia Feinberg, who has spinal muscular atrophy. "We are also trying for more contact with housing and admission."

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Two Northwestern University students who painted their faces black as part of their Halloween costumes have caused an uproar on campus. The incident prompted an E-mail from Northwestern President Morton Shapiro, who suggested a campuswide conversation about race.

Northwestern held a forum on race Thursday night, which attracted more than 600 students, faculty, and administrators, the Daily Northwestern reports. Several students groups sponsored the meeting, which was called to "inspire ideas for possible solutions to inspire a frank conversation of race at Northwestern."

"This conversation is about how the actions of student who dress in blackface and how the actions of students—period—is reflective upon the culture at Northwestern and how we the students are affected by that," Northwestern student Marrion Johnson tells the Daily Northwestern.

Interim Dean of Students Burgie Howard told the crowd that the students who donned the blackface never meant to anger classmates or the community. "One of the unintended consequences is a room full of people willing to listen and talk and share and discuss," he said.

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We've chronicled undie runs—where students walk, jog, or sprint in their underwear as a break from the academic grind—in this space in the past. Now we have a new entry to add to the list: the University of Arizona.

Yes, the Wildcats will be the newest member of the undie run team in 2009, and it's just in time for homecoming weekend in Tucson. Tonight's run will cross the University of Arizona mall and head onto University Avenue, the Arizona Daily Wildcat reports. Normally, undie runs take place during finals or midterms, but with the weather just right, the organizer of Arizona's run told the Daily Wildcat that now was the time to do it.

Academic dishonesty has reached new heights at the University of Rochester, and the school's Board on Academic Honesty has taken notice.

E-mails sent to faculty and students by the board's chairman, John Givens, remind students and faculty of the threat of academic dishonesty, the Campus Times reports. It was the second message in six years that Givens has sent to students and faculty.

The previous academic year showed a 25 percent increase in academic dishonesty cases and the highest number of suspensions in the past 10 years, the board says. For the first time, the school expelled a student for cheating multiple times, it adds. Givens tells the Campus Times that he fears many more cases went unreported.

"The E-mail messages to faculty and students were meant to remind everyone of the high stakes we all have in maintaining our integrity," Givens tells the Campus Times. "As I wrote in my message to students, academic dishonesty not only undermines the very principles of our academic community, but it also leads to serious consequences. Good habits of integrity learned now will last a lifetime."

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Early-decision applications at Duke University skyrocketed for the class of 2014. The numbers have increased by 33 percent, thanks in large part to the state of California: The number of Californians applying early decision nearly doubled from last year's 62 to 115 this year.

The major increase in early applications wasn't expected at Duke, the Chronicle reports. The total—more than 2,000 early-decision applicants—is easily the most ever, breaking the record of 1,589 that was set in 2001.

The small town of Dickinson, N.D., is grappling with the deaths of three Dickinson State University softball players who were found dead yesterday inside a vehicle that was submerged in a local pond, the Dickinson Press reports. The trio had been missing since Sunday night.

Early police reports say there was no sign of foul play at the pond, which the Press describes as a 12-foot-deep stock pond located on private property. Kyrstin Gemar, Ashley Neufeld, and Afton Williamson were reportedly stargazing the night they went missing.

The deaths have hit Dickinson State University and the Dickinson community hard. The university held a remembrance service last night, packing a campus ballroom with students, faculty, and friends of the victims.

"There are times when you step in front of a microphone and you realize words cannot convey the sadness in our hearts," Dickinson State President Dr. Richard McCallum said at the service.

Classes at Dickinson State were canceled today. A memorial service will be scheduled for later this week, the Press reports.

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Just hours after the Philadelphia Phillies won Game 5 of the World Series on Monday night, Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Association employees went on strike, leaving the city of Philadelphia and its suburbs stranded. The University of Pennsylvania and Drexel University had a plan in case a SEPTA strike took place, but it doesn't seem to be working very well.

Many employees have been left in the dark about the schools' contingency plans, the Daily Pennsylvanian reports. Drexel and Penn, along with the University of Pennsylvania Health System, teamed up to create a shuttle service for employees. According to Penn's Business Services Division, notification of the shuttle service had been sent out to school affiliates, who were supposed to pass along the information to employees in need of transportation, the report says. But some employees say they aren't aware of the shuttle program.

Students at the University of Minnesota are pushing for a new policy that might set them apart from their Big Ten rivals.

Students for Sensible Drug Policy is proposing a "Good Samaritan" rule that would allow students to call the university emergency services if a friend is dangerously intoxicated and not face any of the current legal consequences, the Minnesota Daily reports. Instead of the current consequences—such as possible charges of underage drinking or supplying alcohol to a minor—students would have to take alcohol education courses provided by the school. The Daily reports that Minnesota would be the first Big Ten school to enact such a policy.

Georgetown University and its students are searching for answers after two assaults in which assailants allegedly used antigay slurs rocked the school's Washington campus this weekend.

The most recent attack, which took place early Sunday morning, prompted the second student gathering within a week to show support for the victims of the assaults, the Washington Post reports. Georgetown students, faculty, and staff met in the middle of campus Monday and listened to representatives of student organizations and a university vice president speak, the report says.