By Jeff Anderson staff reporter Waits Hall will undergo an $8 million renovation in Spring 2001 if a proposal is approved later this month, Residential Services officials said earlier this week. Melissa Manske, a sophomore nutrition major and Waits resident, said the residence hall needs a complete overhaul. "There are not enough (electrical) outlets to support technology," Manske said. "For two months, the water was cold almost every day."
"(Waits) is either all heat or all air condition," Kurtz said. "We have had a lot of trouble with the hot water." Roger Fisher, director of residential services, said Waits will be coed for Fall 2000 and will close at the end of that semester. The process will be the same as it was for Foster Hall last fall, he said. Coed housing in Waits next fall will make it easier to relocate students in Spring 2001 when renovations occur, he said. Residential Services officials said Fall 2000 Waits residents will have top priority to move back in after renovations. Fisher said Waits will be completely renovated inside and out. The roof will be removed and re-sealed, he said. "We will replace the cooling, heating, plumbing and electrical systems," Fisher said. "The outside will be chemically cleaned. Rooms that were suites will remain suites and the rest (will be) double occupancy rooms." The bathrooms will be completely redone and redesigned for better privacy, Fisher said. More partitions and walls will separate the showers from the rest of the facilities. The fire alarm system will have new sirens and smoke detectors, and a sprinkler system will also be installed in the building, he said. The outside doors will be accessible by using student identification cards, he said. Vending machines, washers and dryers will also have swipe-card technology, he said. Kurtz said swipe-card technology is needed to stay competitive with other schools. The ID card door access simplifies the job of the RAs and hall directors, she said. Fisher said an elevator will be installed to make all floors handicapped accessible. After renovations, Waits will have six rooms designed for handicapped students, he said. Waits has never been fully renovated in its more than 50-year history, Fisher said. Past remodeling has included carpeting and painting throughout the building, but these past renovations have been nothing like what will occur, Fisher said.
Jeff Anderson
By Rusty Simmons staff reporter A recent trend of rising numbers in property crime, especially theft from automobiles, can be seen on campus and throughout the city of Fort Worth, TCU Police Chief Steve McGee said. "We're doing our best to keep the campus safe, but we cannot be everywhere at once," he said. "It only takes two minutes or less to break into a car and take everything." Two Jeeps were the latest in a series of automobiles broken into on campus. TCU Police officers were able to stop the burglars from taking anything from the Jeeps on March 1. But five times since the beginning of the fall semester, compact discs were the featured items stolen from automobiles on campus. Part of the recent rise in the theft of compact discs can be attributed to the profit involved, McGee said. "If the resale was limited or people would boycott the places that buy compact discs, people wouldn't steal them," he said. "The real answer is to get a city ordinance demanding companies to get identification on every resale." McGee said a city ordinance helped to stop a trend of T-top convertibles being stolen several years ago. "The Fort Worth Police Department was able to infiltrate a place that was buying T-tops," he said. "Then people started getting etchings done in the car, and people stopped stealing the cars." Fort Worth has an ordinance on the resale of merchandise to pawn shops, said Maribel Luttrell, a customer service representative for the city secretary. The ordinance, section 20-258, calls for a person trying to sell to a pawn shop to fill out a survey including a description of the item, the time and date and the amount paid. Also, the seller must present a driver's license and a signature. McGee said this information is cross-referenced with police reports of stolen property before the transaction is accepted. McGee said not enough music-buying companies follow the same type of rules. "Some of the more reputable places refuse to buy compact discs if the seller is suspicious," he said. "It would have to be proven they knew the merchandise being bought was stolen, though, for them to be prosecuted." A few months ago, a man walked into Dino's II, a pawn shop located at the corner of West Berry and Lubbock streets, and sold more than 20 compact discs for $1 to $3 each, said Michael Zey, an employee at Dino's. A day later, a different man, who had been searching in several pawn shops for his stolen discs, arrived at Dino's demanding the compact discs back, Zey said. The company returned the compact discs to the man at the purchase price, Zey said. Now, the company has a policy making people show identification if they bring in a large number of compact discs to sell. Managers from both CD Warehouse and CD Tradeworld said their companies require a form of identification on some compact discs buys.
Rusty Simmons
By Kathryn Garcia staff reporter Tonight officially marks the beginning of Spring Break, and many students will be on their way to beach paradises and ski resorts. Experts say they need to use caution and common sense. Susan Wilson, associate professor in the Harris College of Nursing, said although drunk driving is always a big issue during Spring Break, students should also protect themselves from the consequences of overexposure to the sun. "Drinking and driving can kill you instantly, but laying out in the sun kills you slowly over time with skin cancer," said Wilson, a family nurse practitioner. Wilson said when a person sunburns, it causes mutations in his or her skin which can lead to a cancerous growth over time. There are several safety measures that one can take when spending time in the sun, she said. "People should stay out of the sun, but that's not going to happen," she said. "So they should cover up or use sunscreen with SPF 15." Wilson said many people believe they are getting more protection when they wear a sunscreen with a SPF 30 or 45 rating, but a SPF 15 rating is just as good. Christen Stafford, a freshman nursing major, said laying out in the sun is worth the risk. "I just don't like sunscreen because it's gooey and smells, so I only wear it if I go to the beach," she said. Amanda Karpinski, a freshman nursing major, said she always plays it safe when it comes to her skin. "I do wear sunscreen all the time in the summer," Karpinski said. "I'll go in the shade if I need to or put a towel on my face." Wilson said students should remember that sunburns can occur on cloudy days and when skiing and not only on the beach when the sun is out. "The air is thinner and you are closer to the sun when you are skiing which makes getting sunburned a lot easier," she said. She said people should inspect their skin every few months for growths that may be cancerous using the ABCD system. People should check for asymmetry, border, color and diameter, she said. If birthmarks and moles are asymmetric, their borders are irregular, or if the color isn't uniform and the diameter is more than six millimeters, there is cause for concern and an appointment should be made with a specialist. Laying out in the sun too much also dries the skin out, Wilson said. "You can see women who have been out in the sun a lot," she said. "They're a shriveled prune. If they had worn a hat or moisturizer, they wouldn't be quite so wrinkled." She said by putting moisturizer on every day, and even at night, students can avoid many wrinkles. According to the American Cancer Society's Web site, skin cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer and caused an estimated 9,490 deaths in 1997.
Staff reporter Jaime Walker contributed to this report.
Kathryn Garcia
By Jaime Walker staff reporter Mark Kitchens said he had no idea when he graduated from TCU in 1994 that he would be living the fast-paced, hectic life of a White House staff member. But as the first director of Internet news for the White House Press Office, the 29-year-old Kitchens has made a place for himself among the movers and shakers on Capitol Hill. Kitchens' job is to steer the White House down the information superhighway and said he has set up several Internet milestones in his 18-month tenure. One of his most memorable achievements came less than a month ago when he and other members of the press operations staff sat behind the desk in the Oval Office witnessing the first online presidential interview, Kitchens said. "I remember leaning over to Joe Lockhart, our press secretary, and saying, 'We are making history,'" he said. "That is what this job is all about." As the orchestrator of the first online town hall meeting conducted with a sitting president, Kitchens said he hopes use of the Internet will increase. "We really want to see the Internet become a key form of communication just like radio was important in the '40s," he said. "I can see the president giving weekly Internet chats online the way FDR had fireside chats. We are truly building a road map for the 21st century." Kitchens said the sense of pride he feels at the end of the day makes his busy, stressful schedule worthwhile. "I have witnessed things here in Washington and been a part of things that have literally changed the lives of people in this nation," he said. "This is a truly rewarding job. It's what public service is all about." Kitchens received his bachelor's degree in political science from TCU. As a graduate student at Georgetown University, Kitchens interned with Vice President Al Gore. From there, he was offered his current position. Kitchens said his passion for news and information began at an early age. "When I was younger, my friends would go home and watch cartoons in the afternoon," he said. "But I was glued in front of the TV watching the news." Kitchens' ambition and no-fear attitude have always been an asset to his aspirations, said his father, Larry Kitchens, director of the Center for Instructional Services. From an early age, Mark could and would take on just about any challenge, he said. "Mark is one of the most focused people I know," Larry Kitchens said. "When he takes on a project, he puts his heart and soul, time and energy into it. Mark is one of those people who was a born leader. This job is just another representation of that." Larry Kitchens said he admires his son's persistence and courage in all areas of life. "I remember when Mark was in the sixth grade, and they had a talent show at school," he said. "Mark got up in his jeans and cowboy boots and hat and sang 'The Gambler.' He has never done anything like that since, but he was willing to give it a try. That's what mattered. Now, that same attitude is reflected in his accomplishments." Although he said he is thrilled to be a part of the budding Internet news division of the White House Press Office, Mark Kitchens' proudest achievement came in October when he received his direct commission to the U.S Naval Reserve Force. Mark Kitchens, who applied three times for a public affairs commission, said in the end, his effort paid off. "It is a true honor," he said. "I have all three letters framed in my office at home. When I look at the first two and then see the third, it reminds me I can overcome any obstacle." Mark Kitchens said he thanks TCU for preparing him to face the world. "I got a great education," he said. "TCU stressed mastery in a variety of areas and forced me to broaden my horizons. I am thankful not only for what I learned, but also that I can always call myself a Frog."
Jaime Walker |
Bevin Kurtz, hall director in Waits, said the plumbing,
heating and air conditioning systems need the most work. The heating and
cooling system takes about 10 hours to change from one to the other, she
said. | The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |