Udpolice Argue for the Right To
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
An Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award Winner TUESDAY February 29, 2000 • Volume 126 THE • Number 34 Review Online Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid www. review. udel. edu Newark, DE Permit No. 26 250 Student Center • University of Delaware • Newark, DE 19716 FREE Students arrested at Mumia protest UDpolice Two University of Delaware students were argue for taken into cuswdy Monday by Supreme Court and city police in Washington, D.C., at a protest for Mumia Abu-Jamal, other student protesters said . the right to Abu-Jamal, perhaps the most well-known death row inmate in Pennsylvania, was sentenced to death for the 1981 murder of a Philadelphia police officer. carry guns Dozens of people were taken into custody at the rally. The Associated Press reported that BY BRIAN CALLAWAY the total number of those arrested was 185. !<HIMIA Executive Editor Lt. Daniel Nichols, public info rmation IJ. f!l/-JAA':Jf officer for Capitol Hill Police, said the names Yniversity Police need to be able to carry guns in order to of those arrested would not be released until provide the same protection offered by other law enforcement early this morning. agencies, Sgt. Edward Murray, president of the university Nichols said most of those arrested would chapter of the Fraternal Order of Police, said at a forum be released from custody Monday night, but Sunday. that a list would not be available until the As justification, he said University Police receive the same morning because arrests were still being training as other police forces and the rate of violent crime is rising. processed at 6:00 p.m. Monday and because he had to go home for the day. However, not everyone in the audience of approximately The students taken into custody were lying 100 people at the Resident Student Association-sponsored forum agreed. down in the street, then ran onto the Supreme Court's steps, which were closed to the public One woman in attendance said the only use campus police because of the protes t, The Review has have for carrying guns would be "to shoot air," since the learned. majority of crimes on campus are property-related, not violent. As one student was led away by police, she Murray responded by saying University Police deserve the shouted, "Justice!" right to bear arms as long as there is a chance a member of the John Riley, a spokesman fo r the Free force would face a potentially dangerous situation. Mumia Abu-Jamal Coalition, which organized The woman said she would only support arming University Police "If [they] can convince me that someone innocent isn't the rally, said about I 00 to I 50 people protested with the intent of being arrested. going to be shot.'" The Supreme Co urt has rejected two of Murray offered several arguments to support arming his Abu-Jamal's appeals, in 1990 and 1999. department, including the foll owing: Abu-Jamal, a radio journalist and former • every University Police officer has atlended initial training Black Panther, has staunchly maintained hi s sessions at the Wilmington, New Castle County or Delaware innocence since being sentenced nearly 18 State Police academies; years ago. • University Police attended 2,279 hours of in-service training His case has attracted attention from many with firearms in 1999, which amounted to approximately 50 groups around the world. Amnesty hours per officer, more than twice that required by law; International recently called for a newtrial. THE REV lEW/ Maria Dal Pan • University Police are required to qualify with their side arm Dozens of protesters were arrested at a Washington, D.C., rally for Mumia Abu-Jamal, the three times per year, with at least one round during a low-light period; -compiled by Review sraff reporters famed Pennsylvania Death Row inmate. · • five aggravated assaults have been reported in residence halls since Sep~t;Ql~f.- tm. coro~ ~th two similar incidents during the '98-'99 scnool year, anq three robberies have been reported smce.Septen,tber 1999, compared with none the year before; Greek men's GPAs are above average • and according to a poll conducted among 500 students by The Review, 3.4 percent of students said they had a gun at college, while 8.4 percent said they knew someone with a gun. BY ADRIAN BACOLO grades than the average university - they needed evidence from the work habits, the IFC also recognizes Stud•llt Affairs Editor He said this combination of factors makes it necessary for male." chapter's national organization." · both individual and c hapter the administration to allow University Police to carry guns. The Interfraternity Council released Fraternities are often seen in a When the official grade reports are performances dee med "ste llar," "Your police officers are not capable of providing you with the unofficial figures for its Fall negative light, Mott said , but he sees released later this week - which Mort Kaufmann said. the full range of services that you and every employee and Semester GPAs this week, which show these fresh figures as a contradiction said may reflect a IFC GPA as high as Accotding to Mott, Dean of visitor to this campus deserve," Murray said. that the IFC average has surpassed to such pre-conceived ideas. a 2.79 or 2.795- each chapter's five Students Timothy F. Brooks said that He also said a 1995 Bureau of Justice Statistics study found both the university's all-men's average "There's been a negative image," he star evaluations wi ll also be released. the IFC GPA fo r the fall of 1999 is the that 89 percent of public universities with I 0,000 or more and the non-Greek men's average. said, "and I can't say it helps [grades], The five-star assessments, largely highest it has been si nce Brooks began students employed armed officers. While the official statistics are not but it doesn' t h!Jrt them." based on a fraternity 's academic working at the uni versity. This includes police departments at schools comparable to expected until the end of thi s week, Greg Kau fmann, vice president of results and j udi ci al violation s , Al though Brooks was out of town the university, such as the University of Massachusetts, IFC President Dan Mott said the administration for IFC, said fraternity determine a chapter's social pri vileges and unavailable for comment, IFC updated numbers should be slightly members are realizing that for the next semester. statistics do at least show the GPA see RSA page AS higher even than they are now. maintaining good academic habits and Mort said fraternities are taking results for the past three years. The GPA tally is consistent with enjoying one's self are not mutually note of the impact grades have on their With the exception of Spring last semester's results. As published, exclusive. five-star standing. Semester 1998, the IFC's GPA has the IFC average is 2.786 - the The official reports, which Mott "Academics is 28 percent of the been ri . ing from its 2.5 I 3 status in the uni vers ity's all-men's average is said are traditionally prepared by this total five-star report," he said. fall of 1996. However, it wa just this Land sales 2.741, and the university's non-Greek time of year, were held back because "Chapters are realizing that and are past Fall Semester that the lFC's average is 2.736. of administrative problems. He said now reaching and exceeding what's numbers surpassed the all-mens ' Mott said the IFC fel t it was several grade reports were incorrect required." univer ity average. important to release the numbers as and are in the process of being To promote better five-star Kaufm~nn said the IFC want to leave UD the university men began their Rush adjusted. standings, chapters have been offered emphasize that its Fall Semester process Monday. "When they put the grade sheets chances to gain points through time average is a sign of movement in the "It means rushing and joining a together," he said, " the [fraternj ty] management seminars and mandatory right direction - a practice, which he fraternity does not affect your grade," rosters were not updated. study hours, Mott said. said , the IFC plans to continue to build on defensive he said. "Greek men are getting better "They just couldn 't take anyone off In addition to promoting upstanding on. BY PA UL MATHEWS Admill istratil"e New.r Editor Several state representati ves and a citizens' gro up DUSC discusses off have recently criticized the university for the way it disposed of two pieces of property near the un iver ity' College of Marine Stud ies in Lewes, DeL State Rep. David H. Ennis, R-6th Di trier. announced campus housing funds his plans to join other state representatives in calling for change in the university's real-estate pol icie during a meeting in Dover on Feb. 22. BY KYLE BELZ moderate-income housing account for more th an half of Ennis, a member of the Joint Finance Committee. Neu·s Features Ediwr such residents, according to 1990 data from the census first became concerned after the ale of a 75-acre piece Efforts to aid residents in low- and moderate bureau. of propehy in Lewes. income housing have begun in th e Delaware Regardless of the number of students a potential The la nd was sold to a land develo per who is Undergraduate Student Congress, members said at its plan wou ld effect, she said, DUSC should look planning to bui ld a housing development on it.