The Daily Collegian Man arrested for By Casey McDermott COLLEGIAN STAFF WRITER A 19-year-old Maryland man was arrested Thursday after he sent repeated harassing Eacebook messages to a female Penn State student before he arrived in State College earlier this week, Penn State Police said. Obafemi 0. Ilupeju, of Silver Spring, Md., is ilupeju charged with one count each of misdemeanor stalk ing and harassment in connection with the incident, police said An official at the Centre County Correctional Facility confirmed that Ilupeju was taken into cus tody at about 5:30 p.m. Thursday Student makes PSU her home Series note: This is the fourth in a five-part series profiling international students. By Emily Battaglia and Mary Schultz FOR THE COLLEGIAN On Nene Ikpechukwu's first night at Penn State, she and her mother found themselves stranded in a | snowstorm with all of her | belongings on the side of (sophomore-economics), who came to Penn State from the Igbo tribe in the > Abia State of eastern Ikpechukwu Nigeria two years ago. A teaching assistant soon drove past and offered Ikpechikwu and her mother a ride, a gesture she said reflected what she likes most about Penn State that people here are friendlier than in Nigeria. The cold climate at Penn State was also a shock to her. "The cold just pierces through all your pores and stabs you." she said. "Back home it is warm all year long." In addition to Penn Staters' friendliness. Ikpechukwu said she noticed a difference in fashion sense. “In Nigeria, everyone dresses up for classes." she said. "Here, it is sweatpants, sweatshirt and boots." and was released on $7,500 bail shortly after 2 p.m. Saturday. Police said the female student first contacted authorities on Nov. 14 to report that she had been receiving unwanted messages from an unknown individual identified as Ilupeju via Facebook. The messages were only visible to Dupeju and the stu dent, police said. In the messages, Ilupeju expressed his feelings for the stu dent and suggested the two meet in person to establish a relation ship, police said. In the messages, Ilupeju also recalled his interac tion with the student at a Christian summer camp in 2007 and though the student told police she did attend the camp at that time, she had no recollection of meeting Ilupeju there, police said. After the messages continued, gfcWorld Though Ikpechukwu said certain tradi - tions will always be a part of her life, she said she enjoys experiencing her old tradi tions in a new wav. "When you greet your elders, you must shake their hand with your right hand. It you take anything from them, you must use your right hand," she said. "If you use your left hand, it's like an insult." When she moved to the United States, she at first found herself using only her right hand to grab things, she said. “I realized I could reach out with my left and no one would notice the difference." she said. “It was like a private joke." After six years of boarding school, she was used to living away from home. “Of all the people I know, she's the one person who has adjusted really well." Johnson and Wales student Olanubi Ojomo said of Ikpechukwu, a former high school classmate. Ikpechukwu said she wants to "taste everything before the experience is over" but not necessarily when it comes to American cuisine, which she said has less kick than her food in Africa. "The food here is not spicy enough." she said. “I’m used to a whole lot of spices in my food. Everything here is minimalistic." Even so, after two years. Ikpechukwu said Penn State is starting to feel like home. “You grow to love this place." she said “When I went back home to Nigeria, I felt like I was visiting." stalking police said the student was advised to "block” Ilupeju from communicating with her on Facebook and to tell him she did not want to have any further con tact with him. On Nov. 18 at 6:57 p.m.. the stu dent sent a message to Ilupeju, telling him, "Do not contact me or anyone in my family in any way ever again. I do not know you and do not want any contact from you ever again," police said. Within 14 minutes. Ilupeju responded to the student and sent a series of five additional mes sages to her over the course of the following four days, police said. In the meantime, police said, the student became "emotionally distraught" because of the situa tion missing classes, falling behind in school w ork and becom ing fearful of staying in her room. Harrisburg campus to put wireless Internet in dorms Penn State Harrisburg will install wire less Internet in one of its freshman resi dence halls during the upcoming winter break, making it the first Penn State resi dence hall to have wireless Internet in individual dorm rooms. Christopher Hurley, senior director of housing and food services for Commonwealth Campuses, announced the renovation at this weekend's meeting of the Council of Commonwealth Student Governments. Hurley said that depending on the suc cess of the pilot program at Penn State Harrisburg. Housing and Food Services might explore further installations at other campuses within the next few years. "We're seriously going to explore this at Universitv Park." Hurlev said. Before the project goes through, though. Hurley said one of the major issues that still needs to be resolved is the seeuritv of wireless Internet networks. The same Penn State Harrisburg resi dence hall where wireless Internet is being installed is also the first at Penn State to be Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified, said Karen Kreger. regional director of Commonwealth Campuses Housing and Food Services. The residence hall uses recycled mate rials for its structural and aesthetic com ponents. such as wall surfaces that are constructed from a material made out of sorority member On Dec. 1, police said Ilupeju posted a public status update on Facebook saying he was on his way to State College on a Greyhound bus. The student said she was frightened when she saw his status, police said. When he arrived in State College on Wednesday, Ilupeju was greeted by two officers Sgt. Frances MeCiellan and Detective Ryan Olson who determined that he had no "purpose or mean ingful business on campus," police said. Ilupeji was charged and taken into custody the following day, police said. A preliminary' hearing for Ilupeju is set for Dec. 8. police said. L'pon hearing of Ilupeju's arrival in State College, leaders from both the Penn State Interfraternitv Council and By Julia Kern and Jessica fully FOR THE COLLEGIAN Monday, Dec. 6, 2010 I Panhellenic Council sent e-mails to chapter presidents and mem bers urging them to take caution. Outgoing IFC President Max Wendkos (senior-marketing and psychology) said he wanted to alert fraternity members to be waiy because, to his knowledge, Ilupeju was involved in a previous incident in which he impersonated a fraternity member at the University of Maryland to tres pass on several properties. Because the student with whom Ilupeju communicated is a mem ber of a sorority. Panhellenic Council Vice President for Communications Marina Matteo said sorority members were advised to avoid walking alone and to report any suspicious activity to police. To e-mail reporter: cmms773@psu.edu sunflower seeds and wheat chaff. Kreger said. The residence hall is also water-effi cient. with low-flow sinks, low-flow show ers and dual-flush toilets, which reduce the amount of water used in the building. "It's really pretty neat. We re very proud of it." Hurlev said. Also at the CCSG weekend, the council passed Resolution 2010 2011-05. which cre ated a unified Student Activity and Facilities Fee Board made up of stu dents from both Commonwealth Campuses and University Park. "The Unified Board will just determine guidelines for the use of the facilities fee. It will also deal with problems that arise." CCSG President Mohamed Raouda (sen ior-history and international politics) said. "We would like it to have a say in the cost of the facilities lee." The council also passed Resolution 2010 2011-06. which supported the pro posed Pennsylvania Student Association, an association of Pennsylvania schools that would advocate for lower tuition. The association would include Penn State. University of Pittsburgh. Lincoln University and Temple Universitv. The University Park Undergraduate Association has been active in the initia tive to form this association of Pennsvlvania schools. "The fact that we're all Pennsylvania students unifies us." CCSG Director of Governmental Affairs M.J Worsham (sen ior-hotel restaurant and institutional man agement) said.
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers