Update, 5:13 AM: Whitman Security struggles to identify if blood was smeared on the inside right pillar of Memorial Hall’s main entrance. Private Security seems to be exiting the building for the night. Chalk continues to cover the area, including vertical surfaces.
Update, 5:01 AM: Private Security Officer, and Whitman Security are inside of memorial. No students or other presences remain outside of Memorial Hall. The building seems to continue to be under private surveillance.
*Update, 2:09AM: Whitman Students Justice for Palestine released a statement on Instagram (@whitman_sjp) titled “COP WATCH @ MEM” regarding the presence of private security on campus. In the statement they state that Whitman is “militiarizing” the campus, limiting free speech (regarding Sarah Bolton’s message which states that chalking will be routinely erased for the rest of the academic year), and “going beyond their rights to enforce policy in alarming and arbitrary ways.”
A Whitman security car drives past memorial two times after a long stretch of absence. A Private security officer seems to still occupy memorial building.
Only a few students remain outside of Memorial Hall.
Update, 1:07AM: Whitman Security spotted inside of memorial building. Students are still stationed outside of Memorial. No further confrontations from Security have been observed by journalists. Updates will continue throughout the night.
UPDATE, 11:52PM: Whitman Security officers required students in front of Mem to produce their Whitman IDs or recite their ID numbers. Security also filmed a Wire reporter and insisted that they produce their ID. When students expressed that they did not want to share their IDs, security officers claimed that the college policy requires students to comply with requests made to furnish ID information. The Wire has reviewed Whitman’s code of conduct policies and security procedure policies, and are unable to find any specific codes which require the furnishing of IDs outside of an academic building. The only identification policy the Wire was able to obtain reads “Access to and use of buildings late at night require proper identification and written authorization. Buildings are routinely checked by Security and everyone is expected to comply with the Security Office’s request for identification.” Students in this instance were not in buildings.
UPDATE, 10:52 PM: Whitman Security currently requiring students in front of memorial to produce their Whitman ID numbers
UPDATE, 10:00PM — Private Security officer remains stationed in Memorial Hall, in conversation with Whitman Security officer Rico Jimenez. Both appeared to avoid The Wire’s camera for photos.
UPDATE, 9:03PM — A small group of anonymous students have gathered outside Memorial Hall to protest the presence of an armed private security guard in Mem. Students placed a Palestinian flag on the hood of the car and have chalked messages around Mem including “Halal/Kosher Zone = No Pigs.”
7:30pm — A private security vehicle was parked outside of Memorial Hall Tuesday evening, and a man with a vest labeled “Security” was seen inside Memorial Hall talking to Director of Security Greg Powell. The truck, which had decals displaying the name “Security First” and “Private Security” as well as a phone number (509-876-6995) that forwarded two calls from The Wire to answering machine, also had an American flag license plate with the Pledge of Allegiance emblazoned on it.
The individual wearing the “Security” vest did not appear to be a member of Whitman Security, and was not wearing the traditional blue jacket that Whitman Security Officers wear. The individual in the vest and Powell both declined to tell The Wire why they were at Memorial Hall, and whether “Security First” had been paid by Whitman for services. Vice President for Communications Gina Zandy Ohnstad has not responded to The Wire’s request for comment at the time of publication. It is unclear why “Security First” was at Memorial Hall.
Unlike Whitman Security, the individual who appeared to be affiliated with Security First had what appeared to be a weapon resembling a handgun holstered to his person. It is unclear what the object in the individual’s holster is.
Security First’s presence on campus comes just a few hours after President Sarah Bolton sent a campus-wide email announcing that all chalked messages on campus will be erased with water. It is unclear if the two are related, or if Security First’s presence is related to the recent red paint vandalism at Reid Campus Center and Memorial Hall.
*Editor’s note: A previous version of this article said that Sarah Bolton banned. chalking for the rest of the year. Bolton’s email instead says that Chalking will be routinely erased.
