By Grace Massara (Whetstone staff writer)

Chantz McKeller was walking through the plaza by Williams and Gooding halls one late afternoon when he saw a crowd of people arguing. Dover locals had started a fight with students.

Earlier that day, a handful of students were off-campus when a Dover local took one of the student’s hats. The students returned to campus, but, later, the student who lost his hat noticed the locals walking through campus and saw that one of them was wearing his hat.

“The guy tossed the hat and said ‘Y’all school kids stay in school’,” McKeller said. “One of the locals lifted his shirt and tapped his hip. That is usually a sign of having a gun or weapon on him.”

Elizabeth Wallace, resident director of Gooding Hall, was also there.

“One of my girls came running in my office saying there was a fight outside,” she said. “I saw the locals by the end of Williams Hall and a group of students in the plaza shouting at each other.”

She too heard something about a gun and that is when she called security.

Security came and the locals backed off campus behind Roe Hall. Security said the locals did not have any guns with them.

Head of Safety and Security, Walt Beaupre, said he received a report of loud noises and possible fighting with at least two non-Wesley students. They were arguing with Wesley students outside of Williams and Roe Halls.

“We typically don’t have any problems with anyone walking though the campus,” Beaupre said.

Beaupre said safety is always a concern that security takes seriously.

“If students do see any suspicious activity from locals, they need to contact security right away,” he said.