Adams Decides Not to Issue Advisory

Four days after two Adams House roommates were assaulted outside Tommy's House of Pizza, House residents are questioning why a community advisory has not been issued.

After exiting Tommy's House of Pizza at 2:50 a. m. Thursday, the victims encountered two individuals at the corner of Bow and Plympton Streets. One of the victims was knocked unconscious and was sent to Mt. Auburn Hospital for treatment. The other went to University Health Services (UHS) after sustaining minor injuries.

Some students said they think the House administration should do more to inform students when a crime is committed nearby.

"I think that's not very smart of them [not to issue an advisory]," said Elisabeth S. McKetta '01. "Usually they're very good about letting us know. I'm curious about why they didn't."

Adams House administrators said the decision not to issue a community advisory stems from a belief that students are not in danger.

"If we truly believed undergraduates walking down Bow St. were in danger, we'd issue a community advisory and contact Universitypolice about having a greater police presence,"said David B. Fithian, the Allston Burr seniortutor in Adams House.

Administrators said they believed the incidentmay not have been an act of random violence, andthat it therefore does not point to anysustainable threat to students in the area.

"It may not necessarily represent a threat tothe community in general," Fithian said. "It'd bea threat to the community if was random."

Carsey Yee, assistant head tutor of AdamsHouse, said that Adams House Master Robert J.Kiely '60 was trying to handle the situationcarefully.

"My understanding is that they are trying to besensitive to the investigation and they honestlydon't feel that there is a widespread danger," hesaid.

The Adams roommates who were assaulted saidthey had no prior connection with the assailants.

One victim said the first time he saw theassailants was when they started to attack. Theother victim said he remembers little about theassault.

"My last memory after opening the door to leaveTommy's is waking up in the hospital," he said.

An Adams House resident, who wished to remainanonymous, described how she and another residentalong with two visiting friends were in front ofthe main entrance of Adams at the time of theattack.

"We went over and [the assailants] just gotscared and jumped in their car and took off," shesaid.

One of the victims--who had been celebrating hisbirthday that evening--said he thinks the attackmay have been motivated by St. Patrick's Dayrevelry.

"To me, it just seemed like a couple of drunkkids looking for a fight," he said.

Because the alleged assault involved kicking aswell as punching, it has been elevated to felonystatus, Fithian said. The local district attorneywill be responsible for filing charges, he added.

Despite the assault, both victims said theystill consider the area to be safe.

"I don't think I should be in fear for mylivelihood or safety," one of the victims said.

But according to Cambridge Police Departmentcrime statistics for 1998, the Riversideneighborhood, where most of the Houses arelocated, saw an increase an overall increase incrime, with street robberies up 25 percent.

"There have been way too many assaults in thelast two years here," McKetta said

Administrators said they believed the incidentmay not have been an act of random violence, andthat it therefore does not point to anysustainable threat to students in the area.

"It may not necessarily represent a threat tothe community in general," Fithian said. "It'd bea threat to the community if was random."

Carsey Yee, assistant head tutor of AdamsHouse, said that Adams House Master Robert J.Kiely '60 was trying to handle the situationcarefully.

"My understanding is that they are trying to besensitive to the investigation and they honestlydon't feel that there is a widespread danger," hesaid.

The Adams roommates who were assaulted saidthey had no prior connection with the assailants.

One victim said the first time he saw theassailants was when they started to attack. Theother victim said he remembers little about theassault.

"My last memory after opening the door to leaveTommy's is waking up in the hospital," he said.

An Adams House resident, who wished to remainanonymous, described how she and another residentalong with two visiting friends were in front ofthe main entrance of Adams at the time of theattack.

"We went over and [the assailants] just gotscared and jumped in their car and took off," shesaid.

One of the victims--who had been celebrating hisbirthday that evening--said he thinks the attackmay have been motivated by St. Patrick's Dayrevelry.

"To me, it just seemed like a couple of drunkkids looking for a fight," he said.

Because the alleged assault involved kicking aswell as punching, it has been elevated to felonystatus, Fithian said. The local district attorneywill be responsible for filing charges, he added.

Despite the assault, both victims said theystill consider the area to be safe.

"I don't think I should be in fear for mylivelihood or safety," one of the victims said.

But according to Cambridge Police Departmentcrime statistics for 1998, the Riversideneighborhood, where most of the Houses arelocated, saw an increase an overall increase incrime, with street robberies up 25 percent.

"There have been way too many assaults in thelast two years here," McKetta said