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Clark Atlanta University
NTH E
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Volume 8 • Number I
Atlanta, Georgia
September 11,1995
”No Weapon" Policy has holes ;
Accidental shooting at CAU draws questions
First year students are formally inducted into the university
Some R.A.s found empty promises,
some students found empty rooms
Photo by Melvin Jackson
By Kimathi Lewis
Staff Writer
A recent shooting accident
involving a Clark Atlanta Uni
versity student raises doubt
about the effectiveness of the
“No Weapon” policy on cam
pus.
David Macer was critically
wounded Aug. 31 while riding
to the campus in a U-Haul truck.
The truck, driven by fellow stu
dent Demetrius Stevens, also
carried Roland Wilmaker. Ac
cording to officials, Wilmaker
was toying with the gun when it
went off, hitting Macer who was
asleep in the truck’s cabin.
The incident occured at 3:30
a.m. while the trio traveled on
Northside Drive. An initial in
vestigation by CAU police de
termined the shooting to be ac
cidental.
Macer, as of press time, was
listed in intensive care at Grady
Memorial Hospital. Wilmaker
has been charged with reckless
conduct and aggravated assault,
according to CAU’s Media Re
lations. Meanwhile, Stevens has
been charged with being a party
to a crime.
Despite this incident, Jackie
Patterson, director of the Public
Safety Department, said the no
weapon policy is effective.
“Students who are caught with
weapons are going to be expelled
or prosecuted. Those two serves
as a deterrant,” he said.
However, police said there is
no way of knowing if the gun
would have been found if the in
cident hadn’t occurred. As it
stands, students can’t be searched
unless they are suspected in a
crime or they are seen carrying a
weapon.
Many students, however, dis
agree with Patterson’s claim.
“Students are going to do what
they’re going to do. With the
amount of violence, students carry
guns for protection,” CAU junior
Erica Halmon said.
“You want students to be safe,
but you also have to take into
account the background some of
these students come from. To
some, carrying a gun means be
ing safe,” said CAU senior Akil
Houston.
Another CAU senior admits
he once carried a gun in his bag
around campus. The student, who
has had the gun for two years,
said he didn’t buy a gun until he
came to college. He said he bought
it for protection. Although he said
he no longer carries the weapon,
his roommate still does.
“Students are very versed in
the prohibiton of weapons at the
university, “ according to Dr.
Doris Weathers, vice president
and dean of Student Affairs.
“The student handbook,
which is issued to students annu
ally, covers all policies and pro
cedures for the University. The
section on Code of Student Coun
cil explicitly covers prohibitive
behavior,” she said.
Meanwhile, Morehouse,
Spelman and Morris Brown Col
lege also adhere to a zero toler
ance policy regarding weapons
on campus. But they admit there
have been incidences where the
policy was violated.
Last semester,
Morehouse students Oronde K.
Allie and George Moore were
shot and killed in the Atlanta
University Center campus.
By Kimathi Lewis
Staff Writer
When incoming student
Twana Jackson entered her dor
mitory room, all she wanted to
do was lie down. But, she
couldn’t.
Jackson wasn’t the only stu
dent in Beckwith Hall who didn’t
find a bed, dresser or closet in
her room when she moved in this
fall..
“I’m disappointed but not
surprised,” said Jackson.
Although Jackson did finally
receive her bed that night, she
still doesn’t have a closet and she
said she has to live out of her
suitcase.
But Jerryl Briggs, director of
Residential Life said, “All prob
lems we had are being corrected.”
Briggs, however, did not com
ment on why the school waited
until the last minute to furnish
the dormitories.
According to some Residen
tial Assistants (R.A.s) from dif
ferent dormitories, they were
promised to be paid for helping
to move furniture into the rooms
of other dormitories. Some of
' the R.A.s said they were up late
the night before the students came
moving beds and dressers until
4:30 a.m.
“It should never have gotten
that bad. Facilities should have
been on top of it. Now they’re
still trying to finish showers,”
Annex H R.A. Eric Rose said.
Meanwhile, Chris Davis, di
rector of facilities and opera
tions said most of these prob
lems exist because they had to
wait until the summer programs
ended.
“Some didn’t end until the
end of July, the first week in
August and the third week in
August,” Davis said.
Davis said he had asked the
Resident Directors to make a list
of all the things that need to be
fixed in the dormitories.
He said everything should be
in working condition in two to
three weeks.
Meanwhile some students
remain disgruntled.
Lack of sufficient furniture
is only part of the problem with
the dormitories.
“There is flooding with bath
rooms, toilets don’t work and
sinks are coming out of the wall,”
said Melissa Tailor, a R.A. at
Beckwith.
The shower in Pfeiffer Hall
is not working and as a result the
students have to use the shower
in Brawley Hall.
Also some of the rooms in Ware
and Bumstead need to be painted,
waxed and carpeted.
“The residents come to the
R.A.s complaining. But there is
nothing we can do except tell
them we’ re letting facilities know
about the problems,” Tailor said.
She said they write up re
quests but nothing has been done.
“They’re just empty prom
ises that make us look bad,” she
said. “(The residents) don’t see
facilities people, they see us.”
What's inside
• See page 2 for
parking story
• See page 3 for CD
Do's and Don'ts
• See page 6 for
coverage of Grid
iron Classic