Page 29 - ThePhoenix1997-98

HOMEC:OMINGP THIRD EDITION: SPECIAL ISSUE For a WMC Homecoming retrospective, see pages 11 and 12 '---------l Western Maryland Col/eRe Thursday. October 23. 1997 Campus Safety apprehends suspect in bookstore theft When Assistant Manager Kyle Frederick. Campus Safety is help- BV EMILY STAMATHIS Meloche returned, he said he found As,';slanrNewsEd;/Or ing to set up a photo lineup in one of the men in the back of the Frederick County to officially iden- The theft of more than $1500 store, "stuffing boxes of computer tify the suspect, Webster said. worth of computer software pack- software into his backpack." George Washington University, ages from the WMC Bookstore on Campus Safety pursued the two Catholic University, and the Uni- September 29 has led to one arrest men, along with a third accomplice versity of Delaware have also re- and an investigation into a string who was waiting by the Informa- ported similar crimes. of possibly linked robberies of col- tion Desk, through Decker Center Recently computer software has lege bookstores. and out to the front of Hill Hall, been specifically targeted for theft, Erick A. Johnson, who has no Webster said. There Webster caught because of its high resale value on The construction sue is fenced ol! as workers Slart on the /Jew building relation to the College, has been Johnson" and discovered that he the streetSpecially packaged col- released on personal recognizance had four boxes of Microsoft Office lege merchandise is considered par- Construction finally begins until his trial in early January. He 97 Standard Edition software in his ticularly valuable, Thor Johnson possession. was charged with felony theft and on new science building a dwelling or business with the in- Reports on the Barnes and said. To ensure security, the fourth-degree burglary, or entering tent to commit theft, according to Noble Internet site, as well as the bookstore's new policy is to have Intelligence Police Campus Net- two staff members In the store at tive for increase in the years to Director of Campus Safety Mike BY JENNIFER SACKS come. work, show that this theft is not an all times. Also, computer software SmjfWriur Webster. isolated incident. According to is now being displayed behind the The new science building will Approximately $780 in soft- Webster, reports about a group that counter. be an added attraction to prospec- ware was recovered from Erick has been stealing software from Johnson stressed that the rule of tive students. Chemistry professor Johnson's backpack, and another various college bookstores are cir- students keeping their backpacks at Dr. Brian Wladkowski said that the alleged perpetrator escaped with an culating on these networks. the front of the store will be "abso-- new building will "have an impact equal amount of merchandise, The web sites give general de- lutely, positively" enforced from on the shift away from the humani- Webster said. scriptions of the alleged perpetra- now on. ties towards the sciences. The sci- WMC Bookstore ManagerThor tors. "I think you could say that "We get a lot of back talk about ence building may attract students Johnson (no relation to the suspect) they matched," Webster said of this rule, but hopefully the students who are on the fence about study- said that on the day of me robbery, Johnson and his accomplices. will understand," he said. ing science." a cashier but no manager or assis- The individual arrested at The WMC Bookstore is the With more science majors, the tant manager was present when WMC has allegedly been identified sixth college store in which Thor Erick Johnson and another man for a theft that occurred earlier the Johnson has worked. Compared to Continued on page 9 entered the store. same day at Hood College in his previous experiences, Johnson Party ends with said crime has been low until this student taken Revenue exceeds budget by $1.6m incident, which is the first theft he has witnessed assail- that involved . to the hospital ants outside the student body . Although Johnson attributes the The clubroom party in mittee, which is made up of both $1 million Blanche Ward Hall ended BY KATE HAMPSON faculty members and administra- committee with around causes. low crime rate at (he bookstore to to allocate to various eventfully early Sunday morn- New,,· Edilor tors, allocates the money to be spent Domser explained that at the the College's rural setting, he said ing when three Westminster Po- Although many complaints in the next year. beginning of the fiscal year every that this occurrence proves that lice Cruisers, one Fire Rescue have been voiced about the size of This year the actual amount of department sends its requests for "WMC is not immune" to such Vehicle, and one ambulance re- the freshman class, the large intake money raised from tuition, room, funding to the comrmuee. He said crimes. spon4ed to an incident of sub- of new students has also brought and board, far exceeded expecta- that typically the requests greatly stance abuse. benefits. This class of around 500 tions, leaving $1.6 million in ex- exceed the college's budget. The According to Campus students is one of the main causes cess revenue. Seidel commented Inside must then decide Safety Director Mike Webster, for a gross revenue surplus of$1.6 that this is a great contrast from the budget committee the money. how to allocate a student was taken co the hos- million. early 1990's when the college Items that are not included in pital. Webster said I.hat "alco- According to Ethan Seidel, vice didn't have enough money to spend ............7 hol may have been Involved." president of administration and fi- and had to cut back its budget. "It's the original budget are reconsid- ex- .................. 11 exceeds ered when the revenue The student was subsequently nance, the budget committee met to a lot nicer now to be able to sit pectations and additional funding ............... 12 released. decide how the additional revenue down and set priorities and allocate is available, as was the case this ........ 13 An eyewitness reported that should be spent. funds," he said. year. ... 14 a mob of70-100 students gath- The committee meets in Janu- Thirty-three percent of this ex- The unexpected size of the vice column " " .....•. , 15 ered to watch the incident ary each year to decide the college's tra money was spent on additional ootball······· 16 No further information is budget for the upcoming fiscal year financial aid, explained committee U.yball· ·.....•..........•....•.....17 currently available. which begins on July lst. The com- member Ira Domser, This left the Continued on page 8 board .._.•_•................•.... 19