By Chris Gibson staff reporter One of TCU's newest traditions began on Saturday as the inaugural TCU
Invitational was held at the Lowdon "It was really a great day for TCU athletics, especially our track program," head coach Monte Stratton said. "Everything went really well considering it was the first meet ever (on campus). We could have used some more stands and bathrooms, but we are still extremely happy with how everything turned out." The TCU Invitational is the final stage in the university's goal to bring collegiate track meets to campus. The process began more than a year ago, with an initial donation of $1 million by Maria and Robert Lowdon. Combined with other gifts, the university used the donation to fund the building of the new track complex, which was officially dedicated on October 25, 1999. The facility allows TCU to practice and hold events on a track that meets NCAA standards. For the athletes, it provides an opportunity to perform in front of a home crowd. For the fans, it is a chance to see the Horned Frogs firsthand. "I think this is great for TCU," sophomore business major Mike Srp said. "For so many years, we have had a nationally prominent track program, but students haven't gotten a chance to see them because (TCU) didn't have the facilities to host a meet. Now with the new track and the TCU Invitational, everyone can come out and see what they have been reading about for so many years." Track members said the on-campus meet was the next step in building a stronger tradition of TCU track. "It doesn't even feel like somewhere that we practice at right now," junior Darvis Patton said. "It feels like a real meet. This is so great that we can have a meet like this at home. I think that this will only make TCU track stronger." On Saturday, over 2,000 fans showed up to witness the men and women combine for 14 victories. Other teams competing included Rice University, University of North Texas, Southern Methodist University and Northwestern State University of Louisiana. Team points were not compiled. The men's victories came as TCU used its depth in the sprinting events to dominate the meet. Along with victories in both the 4x100-meter relay and 4x400-meter relay, the men captured the top spot in the 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash and 400-meter dash. They also added victories in the long jump, 110-meter high hurdles and 1,500-meter run. "It was really a good meet for our team," Stratton said. "We were expecting to run well, and I think that we did. It was great to run so well in front of a home crowd, and I think it will give us some confidence going into the (Penn Relays) this weekend." Two Horned Frog runners posted season-best times in their events. Junior Roy Williams took the top spot in the 400-meter and senior Ricardo "Flash" Williams won the 200-meter. Roy Williams finished just ahead of teammates senior Johnny L. Collins II and junior Kim Collins. Kim Collins, who is not a regular quarter miler, set a national record for that event in his home country of St. Kitts. "Basically I did it for fun," Kim Collins said. "I knew that the record was there and that I had a chance of beating it. Running the (400-meter) helps me gain strength for my main event, the 100-meter." Patton paced all TCU athletes with a victories in the 100-meter dash, 4x100-meter relay and the long jump. "It felt good to win especially in front of my family," Patton said. "I knew that they were there watching, and it was the first chance for my mom to see me jump, so I knew I couldn't lose. The meet was a success for everybody." The first home meet was also one of the TCU women's most successful of the season. Sophomore Katie Singleton started off the day for the women by winning the 3,000-meter run and senior Glady's Keitany won the 5,000-meter run. Singleton's win earned her the distinction of the first athlete to win an event at the new facility. The women's 4x100-meter also took the top spot and senior Dywana Crudup placed first in the 400-meter. "Everything went great Saturday," Crudup said. "We all felt pretty good, and we ran pretty good. If it wasn't for the wind, this would have been a perfect day."
Chris Gibson
By Kaitie Smith staff reporter Members of the House of Student Representatives will vote on executive positions for Academic Affairs, Elections and Regulations, Permanent Improvements and University Affairs committees in the last regular meeting of the semester. "It is important for the people running for the job to be energetic and effective leaders with feasible ideas," said Sara Donaldson, House vice president. A motion to dissolve the Campus Communications Committee will also be introduced. House procedures claim any member of the executive committee must introduce a measure. "Campus Communications presently is a permanent advisory committee, and we would like it to be made an executive advisory committee to the SGA," Donaldson said. "It will now be under the umbrella of House and Programming Council." Donaldson said there will also be a change in the course of the meeting due to another motion being brought to House to purchase more equipment for the Rickel Building. Because this is the last meeting during which laws can be passed, the House will temporarily also become the Finance Committee. House procedure calls for bills to be slated a week in advance, allowing time for representatives to consult with their constituents and for final adjustments to be made within the separate committees. House Treasurer Stine Lunden will take over the meeting, and House as a whole will assume the function of the Finance Committee. After the adjusted Finance Committee passes the bill, House will assume its normal function and vote on the bill. Jennifer Jost, Permanent Improvements chairwoman, said the bill originally requested $6,895. The presented proposal will ask for $11,895. "The Rickel Building staff asked for various items like rubber plate weights, a rowing machine, treadmills and other equipment," Jost said. "We amended the bill to allocate $5,000 more to be used at the discretion of the Rickel staff." Marcus Kain, Student Concerns chairman, said the Rickel is a constant source of student concern. "People have voiced that they want more equipment," Kain said. "I have talked to the director of the Rickel and comprised a list of items most needed. The Rickel has a relatively small budget that does not allow the fiscal means to replace older equipment." Kain said he is worried the bill will be voted down. "I am afraid the bill will be vetoed because of the $5,000 increase," Kain said. "The Permanent Improvements budget contains $21,905 that will roll over into the general reserve if not used. The money is just sitting there, and this is a pressing need for present students." House will also vote on a bill to purchase a clock for the Student Center. "Originally, the installation of the clock was to cost $800 alone, but this expense will now be covered by the Student Center," Donaldson said. "The digital clock will now only cost $200 if approved by House." House's final meeting next Tuesday is called Plenary Session, during which House members present awards to representatives.
Kaitie Smith
By Jill McNeal staff reporter Sophomore Lynn Glienke said she was invited to a Bible study by the acquaintance of a friend last semester. After the first meeting, she had no reason to be suspicious, but the second Bible study left her in tears. "We were at an apartment off campus," said Glienke, a movement science major. "(The acquaintance) started talking about the order you had to do things to become a Christian, and she was twisting Bible verses around. She got me to say that I wasn't a Christian. Everything I had ever learned before just left me, and I could only focus on what she said. She told me we needed to have a Bible study every day and get me baptized in the church. I felt so overwhelmed." Glienke said she had been able to sort things out by the time the girl called back a few days later. "I prayed a lot and talked to people from my own church," she said. "I had the courage to tell her that I didn't need to do this and why. It's your heart that matters, not in what order you do things." Glienke said only later did she find out the girl was a member of the International Churches of Christ. "She just said she was part of a nondenominational church," Glienke said. Ronald Flowers, the Weatherly professor of religion, said the International Churches of Christ began in Florida in 1979 by Kip McKean, who felt the Church of Christ should have higher demands. There are now more than 375 churches in 160 countries that are part of the ICOC. A local ICOC group meets Sunday mornings in Fort Worth at the downtown Ramada Plaza . Al Baird, a national spokesperson for the ICOC, said the church's aim is to help people develop the kind of relationship with God that God expects them to have. "I can't apologize for what Jesus taught," he said. "Jesus Christ took very hard-line stands, and we teach those and expect those of anyone who wants to be a member of the church. That makes us unpopular in some cases." Because of the First Amendment, Baird said the ICOC cannot be banned from college campuses. According to a U.S. News & World Report March 13 article though, "At least 39 at least institutions, including Harvard and Georgia State, have outlawed the organization at one time or another for violating rules against door-to-door recruiting, say, or harassment." "We won't agree to share our faith only at a certain time and place," he said. Tom Kriss, a member of the Fort Worth ICOC, said he knows of several TCU students who are involved with the church. "It wouldn't be right for me as a minister to give out their names," Kriss said. "It's not really my place to answer questions about the church." Phone calls made to other ICOC members and the local church headquarters were not returned. Kriss said college students come to the church in search of a relationship with God. "The deeper commitment level attracts some people; for some people, it doesn't," he said. "It depends on the individual." Flowers said college students are drawn to religious groups like the ICOC. "There is a lot of uncertainty to the college life about things like vocation, marriage and moral standards," he said. "Folks are very fluid and unsettled in their lives and are making crucial decisions about where their lives are going to go." Stuart Harrison, a sophomore international finance major, said he was invited to a local ICOC function by a friend. "The church service seemed fine, just regular stuff," Harrison said. "Afterward, a graduate student from TCU asked me if I wanted to sit down and have a Bible study with him. It was about God's word being the truth." Like Glienke, Harrison said he began to feel uncomfortable during the second meeting. "I don't know if these people are trained or what, but he definitely knew where he was going with his questions," he said. "He tried to turn (what I was) saying, (because) I sometimes make mistakes, into me admitting I wasn't a Christian." The Rev. John Butler, university minister, said attracting the young adult population is important for any faith tradition. "When you have members joining who are going into the years when they have their whole professional lives ahead of them and are making faith commitments that will last, think about what that means for the future of your organization," he said. "The life expectancy for that group will be at least 40 or 50 years." Amelia Kleymann, who runs a Web site and support group for former ICOC members from her home in Arlington, said she was 18 years old when she joined an ICOC group in Kansas City, Mo. "I wanted to prove to my parents that I could live my own life and make my own decisions," said Kleymann, now 22. "I ended up joining a cult." Kleymann said after nine months with the ICOC, she left. "They told me everything that was going wrong in my life was because of my sin," she said. "They told me where to go, what clothes to wear and how much make-up to wear. I felt more criticized than uplifted." Baird said the term "cult" is often used to describe new, unorthodox forms of religion. "The early church was viewed as a cult," he said. "That word (cult) conjures up thoughts of mass suicides and weird practices. We are absolutely not a cult." Kleymann said because she was living alone and working two full-time jobs she could afford to give 60 percent of her income to the church. "They had my paycheck stubs so they knew exactly how much I made," she said. "I gave $14,000 to the church in nine months. I knew college students who sold their cars and couples who sold their wedding rings." Flowers advises students to take groups like the ICOC seriously but to maintain a degree of skepticism. "You make judgments all the time in the classroom about whether or not things make sense - it should be the same for religion," he said. "Don't swallow anything hook, line and sinker. That's why the university experience teaches critical thinking skills." Kleymann encourages students to make healthy religious decisions based on knowledge and prayer. "Parents tell their kids to be careful when they go to college," she said. "They say don't walk alone and lock your stuff up so your roommate won't steal it. They never say be careful which church recruits you."
Jill McNeal
Editor's note: This is the 14th in a series of articles profiling the 17 task forces that make up the Commission on the Future of TCU.
By Kasey Feldman staff reporter The AddRan College of Humanities and Social Sciences Task Force is working on a list of suggestions members say will improve the quality of education in the social sciences and humanities. "It feels like we're not as important as other schools because we don't even have our own building," said Curran Skinner, a junior criminal justice major. "Our classes are all over the place. Some are in the Bass Building, some are in Moudy (Building) or Sid Richardson (Building). It would be nice if we had the whole college in one place." The task force is one of 17 on the Commission on the Future of TCU, which was established by Chancellor Michael Ferrari to determine how the university can move to the next level of academic distinction. The possibility of housing all of the departments in AddRan under one roof is one of the issues the AddRan task force has been discussing concerning the future of the college. Joan Rogers, a member of the task force and the retired director of administrative services for admissions, said putting all of AddRan's departments together would enable the students and professors from different departments to interact with each other. She said this is important because social sciences and the humanities are all interconnected. "The disciplines nurture each other," Rogers said. "They need to be together." Social sciences include political science, criminal justice and sociology. The humanities include disciplines such as religion, philosophy and languages. Gregg Franzwa, a professor of philosophy and task force member, said he does not know if moving the departments closer together would require a new facility or just rearranging offices in the existing facilities. "We really don't deal with the details," Franzwa said. "Our job is just to make recommendations to the Board of Trustees, and they make the decisions." Franzwa said the task force will also recommend that professors' course loads be reduced so that they can conduct research in their fields. "The research is what people in other universities see of us," Franzwa said. "That is how we improve our reputation among other universities." Franzwa said the focus of the task force is to take TCU to the next level academically. Richard Enos, a Radford Chair and a professor in the English department and the task force facilitator, said AddRan will play a big part in helping the university fulfill its goal to increase its academic prominence. "The AddRan task force is one of the most important because not only has the college been at the heart of the university in the past, but now that we have split, we are taking the university in new directions in the future," Enos said.
Kasey Feldman
By Jill McNeal staff reporter Wearing a navy blue sports coat, dress pants and a tie, junior finance
and marketing major CJ Striebinger "He took my backpack, kind of laughed and handed it back to me," Striebinger said. "It was pretty heavy - I had put in my big accounting book." At 9 a.m. Wednesday in the Student Center, Ferrari and Striebinger made "The Big Switch," an annual event sponsored by TCU Student Foundation. Striebinger was picked to become chancellor for a day after buying a $1 raffle ticket. Ferrari spent the day in class and socializing in The Main, while Striebinger used Ferrari's office to meet with various TCU administrators. Parking in Ferrari's space was just the first highlight of the day, Striebinger said. "When I got to the chancellor's office, one of my friends had already called, and the message was typed up and on the desk," Striebinger said. "Ferrari has all his messages typed, along with a small printed schedule of his day that fits in his suit pocket." Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs, said his lunch with Striebinger in the chancellor's private dining room in the Student Center was beneficial. "In my job, I feel very responsible for the experience a student has at TCU," Mills said. "When I am reminded that the perspective of each student is different and valuable, it helps keep me grounded in what I am trying to accomplish." Ferrari said he looks forward to the switch each year. "As a chancellor, it's good to have a chance not to just hear about things or read reports on them, but to actually experience them for myself," he said. Ferrari said more administrators should take the time to sit in on undergraduate classes. "It's a healthy reminder that academics really is the core of the university experience," he said. "Though the day was just a little snapshot of what it's really like to be a student here, I think it's symbolic of the need for lifelong learning." Striebinger said his day as chancellor passed surprisingly quickly. "You don't really know what the guy does up there all day, just sitting around," he said. "But he actually doesn't have much time to himself. People are always coming in because he's like the complaint desk and also the last person people come to when they can't solve a problem." Ferrari said the day brought back memories of his time as a student at Michigan State University. "I did the assigned reading before my class, and some of the students helped catch me up before we took the quiz," he said. Ray Drenner, professor of biology, said Ferrari behaved like a model student. "He came to class prepared, asked questions during the lecture and seemed to be taking notes," Drenner said. Katie Urban, a sophomore elementary education major, said she was surprised when she walked into her government class late on Wednesday and saw who was sitting next to where she normally sits. "I opted to sit elsewhere that day because I didn't want to crawl over (Ferrari)," she said. "He was paying thorough attention and seemed really into the class." Urban said TCU is lucky to have a chancellor like Ferrari. "He is really interested in getting student input and finding out how it feels to be a student," she said. Ferrari said he was pleased with the interaction he saw between professors and students. "There was such a degree of enthusiasm from professors, such a passion for their subjects," he said. "And the students were really engaged in the whole process, not sitting there bored or fidgeting."
Jill McNeal |
Track and
Field Complex. The meet was the first to be held on the TCU campus and
was the first meet at the new Lowdon Complex.
handed
off his backpack to a casually dressed Chancellor Michael Ferrari.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |