By
Kristopher Califano
Arizona Daily Wildcat
Student upset with topic discussed, gun to serve as protection
A University of Arizona student was arrested last Wednesday after admitting that he brought a gun to campus.
Officers confronted Brenton House, 29, a creative writing graduate student and poetry center employee, after an individual in the class told officers that House carried a 9-mm pistol into a poetry class.
House was upset with the topic discussed, a student-written piece made fun of presidential candidate George W. Bush and "rednecks," during the class two weeks earlier.
He then went to the class on Oct. 4 with a Confederate flag draped around his waist and carried a gun in protest, UAPD reports stated.
House said that one of the poems described rednecks as "ignorant hicks" with "sticks up their asses," reports stated.
House said he brought the gun to protect himself from people who may confront him because of the flag, reports stated.
House, the Spring 2000 Ruth Stephan Poetry Center award recipient, admitted to police that he did have a handgun in the Modern Languages building, 1423 E. University Ave.
"We regret the sad situation concerning Brett House," said Jim Paul, director of the UA Poetry Center. "We offer a our sympathy to Brett and all others involved."
House was taken to UAPD for questioning where he denied any intent to use the gun except to protect himself, reports stated. He was then arrested on suspicion of interference with the peaceful conduct of an educational institution.
"We (UA) do have a weapon-free zone on campus, but we can't check everyone that comes in," said UAPD Cmdr. Brian Seastone.
Seastone added that there are about ten weapons violations on the campus every year, and that most of those violations are a result of searches performed after a traffic stop.
House told officers that he knows that a person in the class told police that he had a gun in the building but that he was not upset with the individual who told on him.
He also told police that he responded badly to the situation and that he knows that the girl who wrote the poem has a right to her opinion.
House was then diverted to the Dean of Students diversion program and was released.
House could not be reached for comment.
