By Olivia Alsept-Ellis |
THE GONZAGA INCIDENT
Two Gonzaga students are on probation for brandishing a pistol to ward off a strange man demanding money in the doorway of their University-owned apartment Oct. 24, according to The Spokesman-Review.
Though the student has a concealed weapons permit for the pistol, campus security seized the gun and a roommate’s hunting rifle several hours later. Gonzaga has a policy forbidding possession of any weapons on university owned property. This week, Gonzaga President Thayne M. McCulloh said Gonzaga would review the weapons policy as a result of the incident.
Like the Gonzaga students, many UP students are unaware of UP’s weapons policy, which prohibits “any firearm (or) knife” as well as “equipment which looks like, or can be confused with, a firearm or dangerous weapon” even if they have a concealed weapon permit. Knives (including pocket-knives) are limited to “2 ¾ inches in length” and mace is prohibited except by authorized personnel. The rules apply on campus and in University-owned houses off campus.
STUDENTS SPEAK ABOUT SELF DEFENSE
Some students The Beacon spoke with were unaware of the weapons policy and most were unsure of the exact regulations.
Sophomore Shane Scoggins argues that the weapons policy infringes on students’ constitutional rights. Scoggins does not carry a gun, but does carry a knife when working downtown.
“If you have the proper permits, it’s your Second Amendment right to carry that weapon, Scoggins said. “I don’t know the wording of the weapons policy, but from what I can tell, it doesn’t address the fact that anyone can purchase a knife on Amazon and not everyone can get a gun permit.”
Senior Jackie Ackerson, who carries a purple kubotan in her purse, would prefer that the policy allow for items of self defense. The Kubotan, made of dense plastic, is sculpted with a grip and a pressure point, and is designed to be kept on a keychain. It is barely larger than a thick pen, and can be easily held and is wielded much like a knife, but has no sharpened side.
She said she comes from a family of law enforcement, so self defense has always been important to her. Ackerson has taken the self-defense classes offered by Public Safety.
“I do not like feeling vulnerable in any situation. The Kubotan lets me feel comfortable, and there’s also no chance that I will accidentally hurt anyone or hurt myself. I could see something going wrong if I were to carry mace,” Ackerson said, laughing at the idea of mace-ing herself.
Ackerson said her Kubotan is designed to multiply the power of a strike.
“All of my force will be coming out of the point. And it only takes 10 pounds of force to the clavicle in order to break the assailant’s collar bone,” she said.
Ackerson said an incident in her off-campus house last year, which was only a few blocks from campus, made her even more concerned with self defense.
“Last year there was a man in the backyard peeping through our basement windows. And we have a gated backyard, so this guy had hopped the fence and was peeping through at two in the morning,” Ackerson said. “We called (Public Safety) and the Police, and made a report, but it happened again a few weeks later. Since then I haven’t been able to sleep without all the doors locked.”
However, Ackerson said she respects the weapons policy and feels safe knowing it exists.
“I believe that everyone has the right to defend themselves but I feel uncomfortable with the idea of someone breaking the policy,” Ackerson said. “As a private school, I believe they have the right to prohibit weapons. But communication of these rules is really important as well.”
While the Kubotan does not specifically break policy, Gregg was hesitant to support its use, saying it could be used as a weapon of coercion through pain. He also mentioned that some Kubatons are built to hide a blade, and in this case, the blade would have to meet weapons policy standard.
One UP senior, who asked to remain anonymous, carries mace, which is a violation of the weapons policy.
“Well it’s not always in my bag so I guess I didn’t give it second thought. It’s just this thing my mom bought for me and made me carry,” she said. “I never thought to check the policy because I figured I’d never use it anyway.”
She said she has never used the mace on campus.
“The only time I used it was on accident,” she said. “It sprayed into my house and the windows were closed so it burned really bad, and me and my friends were running for the other room. I guess you can say it’s really only caused me more harm than good.”
Gregg points out that, in the case of mace, students have been allowed to carry the item.
“Some students, in the past, have been exempted from the policy for mace when they go running because they’ve been chased by dogs,” Gregg said. “But this case is rare.”
WEAPONRY IN CULTURAL TRADITIONS
Senior Nick White, who lives off campus in non-University owned property, purchased a rifle in the last year for hunting. White used it a few times before selling it last month.
“I didn’t buy it for protection and I never took it out,” White said. “(Violence or self defense) is the last thing that I would want to use it for.”
White lives north of Lombard St. in an area nearby campus that, he said, suffers from a negative “stigma.”
“My house definitely isn’t as protected as campus, but there’s this idea everyone has that it’s really dangerous out there,” White said. “That stigma is blown out of proportion. The worst thing that’s happened to me and my housemates is that one girl had her iPod stolen out of the car.”
White said that he actually felt relieved after selling the rifle, and promotes a more non-violent approach to self defense.
“I can imagine that having a weapon on you would promote a violent reaction. But I think there’s plenty of ways to control a situation without a weapon,” White said. “This whole thing made me realize just how it easy it is to buy and sell a gun. Scary easy, actually.”
Gregg was especially concerned about student use of guns, which is the center of the Gonzaga conflict. He cautioned students who own or are considering owning a gun to keep in mind the legal responsibilities they carry.
“Brandishing a weapon can have really, potentially undesirable side effects or response,” Gregg said. “I’m not going to display a weapon to somebody because they might pull one out and shoot at me … There’s no turning back when you pull the trigger. And you never, ever use a firearm to bluff someone. If you display or point a firearm, you have to be justified in the use of deadly physical force.”
At least one UP student carries a weapon for cultural reasons. Junior David Rinella wears his Scottish blade, called a Sgian Dubh, as part of his traditional Scottish dress. Rinella carries the blade at the top of his Scottish hose with the hilt of the blade visible, as is the tradition.
“I make a point when I’m wearing the kilt not to hide (my blade). For some reason, a knife that you cannot see is a lot more suspicious than one that you can,” Rinella said.
Rinella said that he has never been confronted for the possession of his blade, despite the fact that he always maintains its visibility.
“I am adopted, so when I turned 18, I went and bought one for myself as a memory of the culture,” Rinella said. “I am descended from the Scottish highlands, and when the man turns 18 … you get one of these (blades) and the deal is that you carry it wherever you go.”
The blade is measured close to 2.75 inches and does not violate the weapons policy. Rinella said he doesn’t not maintain the sharpness of the blade and has no issues with the current weapons policy. He said if Public Safety ever took issue with his blade, he would like the chance to explain to them its cultural significance.
“I would actually hand it to them to let them see that the edge is hilariously dull,” Rinella said. “But I’m a gun control advocate and I’m not a huge fans of weapons. I don’t think that the policy needs changing. I’d just like to think (my blade) wouldn’t be an issue.”
While Rinella’s blade is within regulation, Gregg said that students should be wary of toy weapons, especially if they are not obviously a toy.
“Toy weapons are supposed to have a red or orange end on them. To be clearly and immediately visible as a toy,” Gregg said. “If you’re pointing what appears to be a gun at me in a threatening manner, if I don’t know it’s a toy, what am I going to do?”
WHAT DOES BREAKING THE POLICY MEAN?
If there ever was a dispute over a weapons policy violation, Director of Residence Life Christopher Haug said that Residence Life would be committed to listening to the student.
“Our first piece is to not make any assumptions about what happened. We want to bring the student in to talk with us, to share with us their account of the situation,” Haug said.
Haug said that, in this hearing, Residence Life would ask the student important questions.
“Did you not know you could not have a weapon on campus? Did you feel like you needed one?” Haug said, “We are clear in our policy, that we don’t allow weapons on campus, so there would have to be a conversation, back and forth, about their understanding of the policy.”
While Haug said that he wasn’t aware of any weapons policy violations this year, there have been violations in the past. In light of the Gonzaga incident, he said students should educate themselves on the weapons policy before an incident occurs.
“It’s so important that when you’re at an institution, that you’re aware of what the policies are. It’s no different than if I were to drive down in California, I need to know what the laws are around driving in California. Just because I’m from Oregon doesn’t exempt me from knowing the rules in that particular area. The same is true here,” Haug said.
Senior Maggie Bulger said the conflict was an issue of student fear, not ignorance.
“Honestly it makes me worried that someone feels so unsafe on campus that they need to carry a weapon.” Bulger said. “I think that’s the bigger problem here. They deserve to feel safe without a knife.”
Gregg emphasized that the weapons policy is a way to ensure campus safety.
“We’d rather escort a student, say, from the library to their dorm than have students arming themselves,” Gregg said.
He pointed out that all Public Safety staff follow weapons policy regulations as well. While he believes that policy is well-written and important, Gregg said he is willing to discuss the specific needs of UP’s students.
“Don’t violate policy,” Gregg said. “Let’s have a conversation upfront and see if we can come to an understanding.”
University of Portland’s Weapons Policy Prohibits the Following:
-Any firearm
-All knives with blades greater than 2 ¾ inches in length
-Chemical agents, such as pepper spray or mace
-Instruments that can be confused with a dangerous weapon (e.g. paintball guns, etc.)
-Other implements as refined by Oregon Revised Statutes 166.360, paragraph 5, sections a-g.
(Unless otherwise involved in sanctioned ROTC training, or worn as issued equipment to
Public Safety personnel. Weapons permits do not exempt individuals from these prohibitions.)
For official language, look online or on page 32 in Life on the Bluff student handbook.
