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Volume 54 lssue 12
Guilty verdict in sexual assault case
Three-year controversial case comes to an end
By Joan Dram inch
Staff Writer
joanofacc@aol.com
Three former
University of West Georgia
students have been found
guilty in a longstanding
sexual assault case that has
rocked the West Georgia
community for three years.
Former Braves pitcher
Benjamin Bryant and
former catcher Michael
Perez, both 25, were
convicted of two counts of
Student arrested in shooting incident
By Daniel Bell
Editor-in-Chief
uwgpaper@westKa.edu
Residents of Downs
Hall were woke early last
Friday morning when
several shots were fired
outside their dorm.
One student had been
arrested as of Tuesday and
according to UWCi Chief
of Police Tom Mackel
more arrests are expected.
“It appears to be
the result of an earlier
disagreement that occurred
at an off-campus party,”
said Mackel.
Also, three students
have been suspended and
banned from campus on
an interim basis pending
the outcome of a required
hearing and formal
disciplinary procedures.
It is believed that all
parties involved in the
incident were students at
the University of West
Georgia, but specific details
had not been released
Campus organization reaches out to women
By Kassi Morris
Staff Writer
kmorris3@my.nestga.ethi
The University of
West Georgia’s list of
campus organizations has
become as diverse as its
student body. The new set
of groups being created are
specifically target women
on campus.
One of those groups.
Women of Diversity, which
wasestablished in February
2005 and currently boasts
22 members, was created
for a variety of reasons,
said Leslie Bridges, the
group’s founder and
current president.
“The main reason 1
started this organization
was because the focus on
women in general was so
wrong.” Bridges also said
"The Student Voice at the University of West Georgia since 1954"
aggravated sexual battery
and were ordered to serve
10 concurrent years in
prison as first offenders.
Barry Sommer,
the 24-year-old former
in fielder and the third
assailant, pled guilty to a
lesser charge and testified
against the others.
In April, 2002
an unfounded juror’s
comment charged that
Sommer would not have to
register as a sex offender.
This comment led the first
before print deadline.
No one was injuried,
but a car window was
shattered by the gun tire.
One resident of Downs
Hal! said he saw part of the
dispute as it happened, but
asked to remain nameless.
“I heard a bunch of
noise and wanted to know
what was going on. [My
roommate and 1| could
see several people moving
around from our window,
but it was too dark to really
see much. Then there was
a loud pop, and everyone
scattered,” he said.
John Clowers, director
of resident life, sent UWG
residents a letter in which
he said, “...we believe
that we have taken the
appropriate steps to insure
that there will be no further
problems as a result of this
altercation.”
Anyone with
information that could be
helpful to the investigation
is encouraged to call (678)
839-4974.
she wanted to help women
on campus focus their
attention on education, as
wellasalltheotheressential
elements for building a
strong foundation for a
successful career.
“We are focused on
women in all aspects of
their lives,” said Bridges.
“This organization
is one of only a few that
is geared towards letting
women be women,”
said student Ebony
Dolphus, secretary for
West Georgia’s Women
of Diversity.
“One of our purposes,”
added Dolphus, “is to
facilitate the transition of
being a girl to becoming a
woman. Our mission is to
create a sisterhood united
in the joys of womanhood,
love and service.”
www.thewestgeorgian.com J3|F" W
trial to end in a mistrial.
On the night of Jan.
31, 2002 the three men
drove the 19-year-old
victim from The Maple
Street Mansion to Perez’s
apartment on South Street.
While the victim
was unconscious, they
sexually assaulted her
while recording the
incident on videotape.
“This is a case about
what happens when young
people drink too much,"
Defense Attorney Allen
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Photo by Kristal Dixon
Several UWG students were involved in a shooting incident around 2 a.m. Friday. One student has been arrested and
more may be soon.
Women of Diversity’s
executive members,
including Vice President
Camille Sanders, all
agreed that their special
union provides a wealth of
services for its members,
featuring the fulfillment
of both social needs and
fellowship benefits.
Natasha Bobbit,
treasurer for Women of
Diversity, said that the
group helped her socially
by allowing her to meet a
lot of new people when she
first came to West Georgia
as a transfer student.
The organization
also finds ways to help
out in the community.
Following several other
charitable contributions
earlier this year. Women
of Diversity’s last event
of the semester will be on
Trapp said in his closing
arguments. “They were
all young and they were
all drunk.”
Using the age old “she
asked for it" defense, Trapp
went on to tell the jury,
“She told you she enjoyed
the game and that she liked
getting their attention.”
The prosecution
countered this claim by
saying, “blame the victim,
that is what the defense
wants you to do.”
District Attorney Pete
Nov. 19, when members
will help conduct a local
soup kitchen for some of
the community’s citizens
in need.
As for campus events,
the group tries to host a
speaker once a month to
enlighten students on various
topics, said Bridges.
The most recent
speech took place
yesterday, when Dr.
Camilla Gant, associate
professor of mass
communications and
theatre arts and special
faculty assistant to
President Sethna, came
and spoke to members
about women and higher
education.
In addition, Bridges
said the group has several
speakers and events
already planned for the
Skandalakis said in his
closing remarks, “A woman
can always say no. Just
because she wears a thong
and flashes somebody
doesn’t mean yes.”
He also believes this
case should be a warning
to young people.
“Look how many
lives have been affected,”
he said. “The victim and
defendants will have to
live with this for the rest of
their lives.”
The jury began
spring semester.
Students can look for
representative speakers
from Mary Kay, Purse
Parties, Community
Service with Hands on
Carrollton and Hands on
Atlanta. A “What Women
Want” panel event on
Jan. 24, 2006 is also
scheduled.
Though the majority
of current members are
black females, there are
also many other ethnicities
within the organization,
creating a diverse group
of women.
“We accept everybody
from all nationalities and
all races,” said Ireac’e
Nesbitt, membership
executive for the group.
Furthermore, men on
campus can also join the
group, she said.
Wednesday, \ovemher 9. 2005
deliberations at 2:05 p.m.
and didn't reach a verdict
until 5:47 p.m.
During deliberation the
jury watched the videotape
for a second time.
With a television set
angled to face the juror’s
box only, all present in
the court room heard the
drunken slurs uttered
during the sexual assault.
“It’s not a one-way
tragedy,” said Hodges’
attorney, Gerald Word.
“It’s a four-way tragedy.”
“I want to make
sure that people know
that Women of Diversity
is an organization that is
still growing,” Bridges
said. Bridges also wants
to encourages more
students to come and
build strong relationships
within the group.
Though Women
of Diversity is not
accepting any more new
members this semester,
the group does welcome
and encourage interested
students to attend their
meetings, which are held
from 6 to 7 p.m. every
Tuesday in Room 210 in
the UCC.
Anyone interested
in joining Women of
Diversity will be able to
join next semester between
Jan. 10 and 24.