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itDPhoeni ••• Volume XIX, Number 5 Candlelight Vigil raises Handgun and explosive materials found in students room awareness !IV J,\CKIE LEAZER device, Brewer said. Black powder, Contribunng writer the key component for bomb mak- On March 30, student Vance ing, was not found, therefore !IV AI'tIANIlA CI.lNE Gibson, 26, was temporarily sus- Swffll'riler Gibson cannot be charged for the pended from WMC on the charge manufacturing of an explosive de- Over 200 members of the cam- of an unauthorized possession of a vice. pus and Westminster community firearm. turned out to attend WMC's Fourth According to Westminster Po- Gibson was suspended from Annual Candlelight Vigil for Rape lice Capt. Dean Brewer, the US WMC and given notice not to re- Awareness. The event, sponsored Secret Service went to Gibson's turn to the campus, pending by the Social Work Department and room in Elderdice Hall to question charges. Director of Campus Safety the Social Work Club, changed its him about indirect threats he had Mike Webster assures "know that the po- he will where and lice political focus from last year to that made toward federal buildings. [Gibson] is at all times for the next of a healing message this year. Students lit candles as part of the candlelight ceremony to spread a When the Secret Service agent en- several days" and that the campus "We wanted to keep this one a healing message about rape. Thefouth annual Vigil for Rape Awareness tered the roorn, Gibson asked to be community should not be alarmed. [at more therapeutic than the other was sponsored by the Social Work Department and the Social Work Club. excused to the bathroom. Accord- "It is not every day that students one; it was very political before," ing to Brewer, Gibson was hiding are sitting around in their residence said Meagan Drucker, a sophomore Melanie Matejevich. ... [and] I came to realize that there a handgun while in the bathroom. hall with a handgun," Webster said. social work major who helped co- Helping those who have sur- were very few people who fully While in Gibson's room, the Se- ordinate the event. vived rape was not only the goal of understood this issue." cret Service agent observed items Though Gibson is entitled to "It's more about helping the vigil's planners, but also the Upon deciding to reveal the due process and a hearing with the people," agreed fellow social work goal of the women who spoke. story of her rape, she initially that would "lead one to believe an ex- he school's Honor and Conduct making was contemplating major and vigil coordinator Ruth Gray, a rape crisis coun- wanted to have someone else read plosive device," Brewer said. The Board, the chances of his return are selor, provided her own mission for the speech she had written. She Criminal Investigation Division of "so small they are practically ab- sent," Webster said. the event. She described the vigil changed her mind after reflecting Westminster was contacted and two According to Brewer, an appli- as "a quest for therapy for those that on Koestner's own courage. detectives responded to the scene. has been have endured this hell." "My biggest fear was walking In the meantime, Gibson had re- cation for charges Court Commis- filed with the District "I went to the vigil more to help into Glar and having people point- trieved the gun from the bathroom [other] people than to help myself," ing and saying 'thats her, thats and placed it in the waistband of sioner for Carroll County. and said Michelle Bernhardt, a WMC her' ... Now I have no regrets at all.' his pants. Gibson will be charged for wear- ing and carrying a loaded weapon. student who gave a testimony about In addition to Bernhardt, Sonya The two detectives secured the Gibson is also being charged for her own rape. "But it was kind of Horner gave her account of surviv- room to preserve any incriminating theft for possession of various li- scary to tell my story to people I ing incest, and junior Shelise evidence, and Gibson was taken to brary books from the Towson Uni- don't know." Ho!1oway recited a poem about wait in the Campus Safety office. versity.Prau. and Hoover Librar- Bernhardt, a sophomore social enduring date rape. While a detective was performing work major, was prompted to tell The evening ended with a stone a routine pat-down of Gibson, the ies. No other charges have been filed at this point. her story after watching the throwing ceremony led by Colleen loaded gun was found, Brewer said. This was Gibson's first year at campus' "He Said, She Said" Galambos, social work department A search warrant was then obtained WMC; he was a transfer student speaker, Katie Koestner, talk of chair, and a rendition of'This Little for Gibson's room. from Towson University. He grew date rape. Light" during the candle lighting During the search, "items and up in Baltimore, MD, and had mili- "I attended the date rape speech ceremony. documents" where found indicat- tary expedence. According to ing to the detectives Gibson's in- Brewer, he had been "medically tentions of making an explosive released" from the military after 2 WMC debates drug use on campus years. Dr. Galambos, Social Work The basic reaction of the cam- Department Chair, addresses the Thefirst of a two part series, students dicuss the perceived drug problem on campus pus community was one of sur- crowd of students who anended the prise. Webster released a letter to vigil 011 Apri/6. BY JULIE DF.VELlN students, faculty, and staff on AND MA'IT Tnm.IAS say no. However, especially March 31 informing them of Inside In light of the while they may marijuana, are Gibson's suspension. Webster iden- said SwjfWri/erI are not usually that students 'S.J"i.,tq,,£,,, :t recent drug readily available tified by name, but in cases where he determines a threat to the com- Does the proposed new Honor "I don't think there to those who munity, he is "ethically bound and to inform the stu- legally mandated Code pit student against student arrests here on and put too much responsibility is a problem, I think pursue them. dents of the threat." Webster also stresses that the threat did not come on fellow test-takers? campus, one [authority figures at A group of from "general environment prob- Itm"!i§ ., wonders, is there WMCj are being lems" at WMC, but was an isolated Behind the Napkin Board: Philip a drug problem at uptight. " WMC students incident. Webster also re- In the letter, Vogt profiles Dionne Cooper, told The Phoenix minded the community of impor- everyone's favorite Western Maryland AllOnymous that the recent tant steps to take in order to main- M·TiI¥ College? Aska say there is no drug arrests do not tain a safe campus. Some of those safety included precautions not " or allowing open doors Scoreboard: Get the slats on all student and he or problem, most necessarily reflect propping to prop doors, not allowing others your favorite Green Terror play- she will probably strangers into residence halls, and ers., agree that drugs, a problem in their reporting any suspicious activity to Campus Safety (x202).