The Butler University Police Department has its own end-of-the-semester worries.

An unusually high number of reported crimes in the past two weeks left police with several open investigations, including one of an armed robbery in a student’s off-campus home.

Two arrests made by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department resulted in the recovery of stolen property, including a laptop and cell phone, taken from the student’s home on Rookwood Avenue last Wednesday.

Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Public Safety Ben Hunter said those two individuals face charges of fleeing police and possession of stolen goods. They have not been connected to the April 18 armed robbery in the 4600 block of Rookwood. Hunter said they may be responsible or able to provide a lead in the case.

The victim, a male student, told BUPD he was asleep when he heard someone enter the home. The student said a man dressed in all black, wearing a mask and carrying a gun, ordered him to leave the house, and the student complied.

Police are still searching for the student’s stolen car.

“These are things that keep me up at night,” Hunter said. “It’s very disconcerting. This kind of stuff just doesn’t happen in the Butler-Tarkington neighborhood or on campus.”

Two undercover IMPD officers made the arrests around noon after the robbery occurred around 1:15 a.m. The student was not harmed.

“We are in a safe neighborhood,” Hunter said. “The campus is safe. It’s an unfortunate incident that we’re not immune to.”

Jackie Wurzer, a senior dance pedagogy major who lives on 44th Street, said she probably would not know how to react if the same thing happened to her.

“I thought (the armed robbery) was pretty terrifying,” Wurzer said.  “It made me not want to stay alone.”

Hunter said last week’s victim reacted in exactly the right way.

“You don’t know the mindset, so not challenging them, not fighting them and just getting out and getting away,” Hunter said. “You’re at the mercy of someone holding a gun to you. If you have the opportunity to flee and do it safely, that’s the preferred method.”

Hunter said even if intruders have yet to notice someone, that person should still try to escape through a window or door, even if it makes a bit of noise.

“Hopefully by the time they see you, you’re 150 feet away,” Hunter said.

BUPD is also continuing to investigate an attempted strong-armed robbery reported April 14 by an Indiana University medical student in the same area of Rookwood Avenue.

The man told BUPD that another man in a red sweater confronted him in an alley and demanded money. The two exchanged punches before the IU student was able to getaway unscathed.

Hunter said police don’t know if the two incidents near Rookwood are related.

A strong-armed robbery, Hunter said, is a robbery of a person in which physical action may be taken, but no weapon is used or implied.  BUPD rarely deals with this type of incident, Hunter said.

Taylor Clark, a freshman economics and finance major, said the recent cases won’t change his plan to live off campus as a senior.

“It’s obviously a concern,” Clark said, “but it’s not something I’m freaking out about. That’s part of life.”

Thefts at HRC
Elsewhere, BUPD issued a campus-wide warning Friday following seven reported thefts in 10 weeks at the Health and Recreation Complex.
Hunter said the thefts averaged around $30 apiece in value and are Class D felonies. They resulted from HRC patrons leaving belongings in open cubbyholes  or unlocked lockers.

“It’s always been about finding money,” Scott Peden, director of recreation, said. “I’m disappointed. Because the thefts are happening past the check-in point, we know it’s one of ours.”

Peden said users should be aware the HRC offers lockers for free and that valuables left out in the open are susceptible to theft.

“People don’t think it will happen until it happens to them,” Peden said.  “We’re doing what we can, I’m sure BUPD’s doing what they can, and hopefully it stops as soon as possible.”

Matt Roth, a junior pharmacy major and daily visitor to the HRC, said IDs, wallets, keys, phones and clothes are constantly left unattended on benches, in cubbies or in the locker room.

“It doesn’t surprise me that once in a while they get picked up,” Roth said. “I’m just shocked it doesn’t happen more often.”

Roth said when people leave belongings out of their line of sight—as he notices they do—thefts happen easily.

“It’s all about confidence,” Roth said. “If you just walk up to something and pick it up like it’s yours, people will think it’s yours.”

Roth takes a lock from the front desk and said he has never had a problem.

Greek House Crimes
Other items on BUPD’s recent docket included two campus disturbances involving, respectively, a stun gun and a fight at a sorority house.

On April 14, a woman, who was not a Butler student but was with a few, sparked a stun gun while walking away from the Delta Tau Delta fraternity house, where she had been turned away.

Hunter said the case likely will be presented to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, which could charge the woman with intimidation.

Johnny Radtke, a freshman exploratory business and Spanish major, saw the woman out on the street.  Radtke said he saw her lurch at a group of students with the stun gun before the woman sparked the gun again when she passed Radtke and his friends.  The woman was walking with two men and two women, Radtke said, who were laughing at her antics.

“I don’t know why somebody just had that or why they would bring it out,” Radtke said. “It’s kind of scary if she actually would do it to somebody.”

Hunter said only once before in his career in law enforcement had he seen a civilian with a stun gun.  Possession of such a weapon violates Butler policy, Hunter said.

In an April 15 incident at the Kappa Alpha Theta sorority house, a woman was accused of battery with serious bodily injury after grabbing the throat and choking another woman during a fight.  Hunter said neither student was harmed and that student affairs is likely to consider discipline, with charges likely not filed.

Increase in Activity ‘Not Unusual’
Hunter said all of these incidents taken together represent an abnormal wave of cases.

“It’s not unusual to see a flurry of activity,” Hunter said. “The only thing that is bothersome about this flurry of activity is that there was a brazen armed robbery.”

Hunter said he’d simply be guessing if he saw a trend in the recent spree.

“These have been unseasonably warm temperatures,” Hunter said.  “Weather does affect patterns of crime, no doubt. I’m not saying that’s what happened here.”

For Emma Rhoads, a sophomore biology major, philanthropy changed her life. She never planned to go to medical school until she set foot in Riley Hospital for Children.

Signing up for Butler University Dance Marathon, Rhoads said, was the best decision of her college career.

“It was that epiphany [that] this is where I need to be,” Rhoads, who hopes to become a pediatrician, said. “I met families. I heard stories and just became so inspired and wanted to make a difference bigger than anything I ever expected.”

Rhoads is one of thousands of Butler students who participate in philanthropy each year. The university approached $300,000 in charitable fundraising in the 2010-11 academic year, according to figures compiled by The Collegian. Students appear set to do so again this year.

Although the university does not directly contribute to student philanthropies, a few receive budget supplements from the Student Government Association. Program Board provided budgets this year of $10,000 to Dance Marathon and $25,000 to Spring Sports Spectacular.  The allotments are drawn from mandatory student programming fees.

Rhoads, co-president of Dance Marathon, said the SGA support means everything to her organization.

“We wouldn’t be able to have our event without it,” she said. “Some schools don’t have sponsorship by the university, so they have to take the money from fundraising to host their actual event.”

Greek houses account for much of Butler’s philanthropic output. Campus fraternities and sororities consistently raise about $105,000 annually, Becky Druetzler, the director of Greek life who tracks the data, said.

Dance Marathon, however, is Butler’s most prolific benefit, Jon Himes, Program Board chair, said.

The 12-hour event raised $108,000 in January to aid children’s health, up $6,000 from 2011.

Relay for Life, run by a team of students in conjunction with the American Cancer Society, stands as the second-largest Butler philanthropy.  It collected $55,929 a year ago. The 2012 relay, scheduled to begin Friday at the Health and Recreation Complex, had raised $37,880 at press time.

Spring Sports Spectacular, the 200-event, late-night competition, raised $33,000 in March for the Special Olympics.  More than 1,500 students compete each year, Rachael Essig, a co-chair, said, making Spring Sports the top campus philanthropy in terms of participation.

Himes said surpassing a quarter of a million dollars in yearly charitable fundraising signifies the importance of philanthropy at Butler.

“The university understands it enriches the quality of student life,” Himes said. “There are so many different organizations, so many great organizations doing work. It shows we have a commitment to service.”

Butler itself maintains a partnership with the United Way, and faculty and staff raise money for that cause. But the university does not donate funds to student philanthropies, Greek or otherwise.
“I’m not going to say they should or shouldn’t,” Mitch Markel, a sophomore criminology major and chair of Tau Kappa Epsilon’s philanthropy committee, said. “The money definitely goes to a good cause if they would contribute.”

Vice President for Student Affairs Levester Johnson could not be reached for comment.

Rhoads said it’s actually rewarding that Dance Marathon, which finished its 10th year on campus, is independent from university giving.

“It’s nice to know we’re raising $100,000 just as students,” she said. “We’re the ones organizing it and running around and dedicating hours on end.”

The largest Greek philanthropy is Delta Delta Delta sorority’s letter-writing campaign, Sincerely Yours, for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. It brings in more than $30,000 a year.

Trike-La-Tron, or TRIKE, recently completed its 49th year as Delta Tau Delta’s signature annual philanthropy. In partnership with the Riley Hospital for Children, TRIKE is the largest fraternity philanthropy at Butler.

“It’s been awesome to see the personal connection between our fraternity and the actual families that were affected,” Brad Vogelsmeier, a junior urban affairs major and co-chair of the TRIKE committee, said.

Vogelsmeier said TRIKE raised $16,000 this spring, with a few sources yet to report.

The oldest non-Greek philanthropy on campus is Spring Sports Spectacular, which has been around nearly two decades, Essig said.

She said the event, which runs from 5 p.m. to 6 a.m., holds a special place in campus culture.

“I feel everybody in the Greek community and even the campus in general looks forward to Spring Sports,” Essig said. “Philanthropy should always be in your life at some point.”

Essig said the best part of the philanthropy is interacting with children with special needs.

“There’s so much we can learn from them about what challenges they faced,” she said. “They still love the world and everybody in it. I think it’s just amazing to watch their perseverance to continue on in life.”

Druetzler said the overall scope of Butler’s philanthropic efforts is a testament to its students. She said the university must be careful, despite impressive statistics, to strike a balance between philanthropy and service.

Dean of student life Irene Stevens said Butler does not document non-Greek fundraising or service hours. Druetzler said service hours in Butler’s Greek community average 27,000 in an academic year.

Rhoads said just being involved in any fashion is invaluable to students.

“If you can be involved with your community at the collegiate level,” she said, “it’ll get you prepared to be involved with your career and even a family in the future.”

Butler University President Jim Danko created a new position in his office and filled vacancies in two others, he announced in an April 2 memo.

The university now has an executive assistant to the Board of Trustees, a role filled by Carol Wroblewski.  Wroblewski is a former associate provost at Butler.  She will communicate with trustees  and work to involve them in university events, tasks previously left to the president’s assistant.

Danko hired Heather Vaughn, a former Rolls-Royce official, as his executive assistant. Vaughn replaces former Bobby Fong aide Ellen Clark, who retired after Fong left to become president at Ursinus College.

Cate Marshall replaces the departed Velinda Bennett as office assistant.  Marshall was a board administrator for the Indianapolis Department of Public Safety.

“What is common when you had a president in place as long as Bobby, you have staff changes,” said Ben Hunter, Chief of Staff and Executive Director of Public Safety.  “This restructuring increases our flexibility.”

Hunter moved his office from the Butler University Police Department to the president’s office in January.  Although most of his duties haven’t changed, Hunter assumed one major new one: direct oversight of compliance with state and federal regulations.

“By heart, I’m a policy wonk,” Hunter said. “Now that the staff is in place, it affords me the ability to get to those projects and those issues.”

Hunter said priority must be given to following the Clery Act and Title IX law, and he can now do that by working more closely with Danko.

“It’s a good fit,” he said. “It works out well with my background.”

Wroblewski, approaching 15 years of experience at Butler, said her position is a work in progress since she started work March 19.  She remains in the process of meeting the Board of Trustees.

“It’s fascinating to get to know this diverse group of people so intimately involved with the university,” she said.

Wroblewski holds weekly phone conversations with Chair John Hargrove.

Vaughn is in her fifth week at Butler, and Marshall is in her fourth.  Each said working with Danko is exciting.

“I can appreciate his perspective,” Vaughn said. “He’s business-minded. I have a similar mindset.”

Marshall said the Butler community has been very welcoming.

“I’ve been thrilled with people just stopping by to introduce themselves,” she said.  “I couldn’t be happier.”

Danko was out of town and unavailable for comment.

Hunter said Vaughn, Marshall and Wroblewski fit Danko’s innovative style of leadership.

“You want a president’s office that’s inviting and has great dynamics,” Hunter said. “President Danko has achieved that. It’s nice to have outstanding people who will offer a great atmosphere when people walk in the door.”

Hunter also said having a liaison to the Board of Trustees is a critical step.

“You have the board guiding our university in so many ways, having so many meetings a year, so it is important strategically,” Hunter said.

Wroblewski, who holds a doctorate degree in counseling psychology from Ball State University, said she doesn’t know how Clark managed board relations on top of other
duties.

“I am more than busy,” Wroblewski said. “That leads me to believe she was doing an incredible amount of work.”

Wroblewski said the trick, though, is to decide what information is need-to-know.

“That’s the core issue this first year,” she said. “I would hate to waste these busy peoples’ time.”

Vaughn said her biggest job is managing Danko’s calendar.  She said her new position applies many skills used in a 15-year career at Rolls-Royce.

“I just like helping people,” Vaughn said. “I feel that’s what my purpose is. It’s me.”

Vaughn said she has enjoyed Danko’s sense of humor.

“I don’t know if we’ll end up doing practical jokes,” she said, “but we’ll keep it lighthearted.”

Vaughn applied to be Danko’s aide after serving with Hunter on Indianapolis’ Super Bowl Host Committee.

“I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard Butler is a wonderful place to work,” Vaughn said.  “I felt I made a very good decision. It’s proven so.”