Zachary Weaver
      Staff Writer

Numerous fights broke out during Gym-Jam, a charity dance, at UNCG’s Coleman Gym around 10:00 p.m. on Friday.

The dance, co-sponsored by EBONY and Alpha Phi Alpha, was intended to raise money for Flint, Mich. It was held in Coleman Gym on UNCG campus, a building with a 180-person capacity. Two UNCG Police officers were present inside, accompanying the sponsors in staffing the event.

As a result of viral attention on social media, numbers inflated beyond capacity, with up to 800 people present. The crowed was comprised of UNCG students, students from other campuses and non-students.

The doors were closed shortly after the building went over-capacity, possibly contributing to the outbreak of violence.

Greensboro Police, with 50-plus units, were called at 8:00 p.m. to help UNCG Police control the situation, according to Greensboro Police Public Information Officer Susan Danielsen. Several large fights broke out while dispersing the crowd, but no police use of force was reported.

Three people were arrested on charges of 2nd Degree Trespassing on UNCG campus, according to Greensboro Police.

UNCG Police reported that they arrested five people for “failing to disperse and resisting arrest,” according to a press release that was circulated. An estimated 2500 people were present on Walker Avenue and in the gym.

“Apparently somebody got beat up real bad, with chairs,” said Michael Adams in a Fox 8 interview. “I know the person… and it’s sad that it happened to him.”

UNCG Police believe that the violent instigators are not associated with any attending schools, and nothing “more than overcrowding caused the fights,” according to the UNCG Police press release.

“This incident does not represent who we are as Spartans,” said Chancellor Franklin Gilliam in an email statement Monday, “and is quite uncharacteristic of our community.”

Concerns have been raised by students on social media over a delayed Timely Warning message from UNCG Police. None were issued on the night of the incident, and the first was not issued until 2:21 PM the next day.

UNCG Police Chief Paul Lester offered clarification regarding the timely warning message after a SGA-hosted meeting about campus safety and non-violence on Monday. A message was not sent that evening because of the event’s short duration and lack of immediate risk to outside students. Additionally, UNCG Police wanted to “preserve the integrity of social media evidence,” referring to the videos recorded and circulated on Snapchat, Twitter, and other platforms.

“The campus was returned to normal operations within 30-45 minutes,” said Lester. “We would have sent notice if there were a safety issue.”

Monday’s special SGA meeting was co-hosted by the NC A&T Student Government Association.  It involved open dialogue about Friday’s fights and campus violence in general. Presenting and leading discussion was Dr. Rod Wyatt.

The event had been planned significantly before Friday’s event and was in response to a fight last year between a UNCG and A&T student.

Representatives from EBONY, one of the co-hosts of Friday’s Gym-Jam event, delivered a statement regarding Friday’s dance, saying that the events “do not reflect the mission or goals of either organization,” alluding to the other host-organization, Alpha Phi Alpha.

“We may not agree, but we will be respectful,” said Wyatt as he opened the floor for students to speak.

Students brought up a variety of topics and offered sentiments ranging from sadness and disappointment to anger and outrage.

Desires for proactive solutions to violence was a common sentiment. Many expressed confusion over the perceived lack of police intervention, with one man commenting, “We must help ourselves.”

The incident’s spread on social media received attention at the meeting. Many had shared footage of the fights-in-progress with derisive comments, angering several student speakers. They raised concerns over “how we promote ourselves.”

Students expressed dismay at a lack of empathy and intervention from bystanders, many choosing to film over disarming a fight.

Dr. Omar Ali, Interim Dean of Lloyd International Honors College and historian, was in attendance. He spoke about power in situations like Friday’s, saying that stepping in to calm the situation was taking power and that it was important to fight the urge to run away. “It requires courage, not going with our first instinct,” Ali said.

The event concluded with a commitment to nonviolence and promoting peaceful solutions over aggressive behavior.

“I think it is a beginning, not an end,” said Wyatt.

Gilliam stated that the investigation into the fights is ongoing, and students will be informed as new details emerge.

“It’s sad,” Adams said in conclusion to his Fox 8 interview, “that students that attend this institution can’t even go and have a great time without something breaking out.”