By Joel Anderson and Laura Head Skiff staff Eight people were killed at a southwest Fort Worth church after a gunman entered an area-wide youth rally and opened fire. Six people were gunned down during the attack before the gunman fatally shot himself. One person later died at a local hospital. Shortly after 7 p.m., members of Wedgwood Baptist Church, located at 5522 Whitman Ave., heard a loud bang. Witnesses said the gunman walked into the large prayer group and began shooting. One body was found in the entryway, one was found in the foyer and the other bodies were found in the sanctuary. Seven other people were wounded in the attack. The gunman was described as a slender, white male in his mid-30s wearing a black jacket, white shirt and blue jeans and smoking a cigarette, said Lt. David Ellis of the Fort Worth Police Department. When police officers located his body on the last pew in the sanctuary, the gunman was armed with a 9mm handgun and had several rounds of ammunition in his pocket.
Many of the students said they believed the shooting was part of a skit or prank. "I thought it was our pastor playing a joke on us," 14-year-old Kristen Dickens said. "But then Cassie got hit in the throat. She never got up." An off-duty police officer who lives near the church heard the shots and called 911. "We also have another subject that we have in custody," Ellis said. "He may turn out just to be a witness. We really don't know." Five students in the group were unaccounted for as of 11:30 p.m. Wednesday. Police officers were conducting a comprehensive search of the neighborhood on foot and by helicopter. Nearby residents said they were frightened by the chaos occurring around them. "I didn't hear anything, and I didn't know what was going on," said Margaret Gonzales, whose house is directly across the street from the church. "Then someone came to my door knocking really hard. There were some older people coming out (of the church) trying to get to my porch. We saw people running out, and some of them had blood on them." Police officers and ambulances arrived a short time later and surrounded the building. Young people who escaped from the gunman's onslaught were taken to nearby Bruce Shulkey Elementary School until other authorities arrived. A family resource center with counselors, police officers and other volunteers has been set up in the auditorium of the elementary school. City Councilman Clyde Picht said he does not want this incident to change the nation's perception of Fort Worth. "I hope we don't hear about Wedgwood in the news like we do Littleton," he said. "But I'm afraid we probably will. I still haven't quite grasped the enormity of this because you don't expect it to happen. Statistically, this area is a very safe area. It has one of the lowest crime rates in Fort Worth."
Joel Anderson Laura Head
By Alan Melson staff reporter Kristen Kirst, TCU's director of fraternity and sorority affairs, announced Tuesday night at a joint meeting of the Interfraternity and Panhellenic councils that she will resign, effective Sept. 30. Kirst declined to comment on the reasons for her resignation. But Bryan Fogg, IFC president, said Kirst told IFC and Panhellenic members that she was leaving to take a marketing-related position at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tenn. Fogg said Kirst told them that Rick Barnes, director of student organization services, will handle several of Kirst's responsibilities until a replacement is found. Barnes declined to comment about the search for Kirst's replacement, pending an official statement that will be released today. But leaders within the Greek community said they will work together to keep things running smoothly during the transition. "Rick Barnes will take up her responsibilities," Fogg said. "Whether he doles out some of it or not, I don't think even he knows at this point. Either way, the added responsibility gives us the opportunity to build something we can carry on." Some Greek officials said Kirst's departure will force them to work harder to maintain a strong sense of community. "We're in a good position, and we just need to continue to work together as a community," Panhellenic President Kelly Boyington said. "If we follow the direction she has set for us and draw on our prior experiences, it should not be a problem." Many of the Greek officers who attended the meeting said they were surprised and disappointed that Kirst was leaving but excited about the new opportunity she has been given. "Kristen's main strength was her willingness to always listen when we had problems or questions," Phi Gamma Delta President Carl Christensen said. "That's something I certainly would expect from her replacement someone willing to listen to our side of things." Zeta Alpha President Darcy Devoe, agreed, saying Kirst always made herself accessible to Greek members. "There are not many staff members that you can call at home at three in the morning," she said. "She was always there to remind us why we were founded and what we should be promoting. I think sometimes some people forget that." Boyington and Fogg both said Kirst will leave a significant legacy at TCU. "(Kirst) is a model for the person who will take her place," Boyington said. "(She) was not only a good representative, but a good friend." Fogg agreed, saying Kirst served as a mentor to him during his time as a Greek leader. "I've lost my most important adviser," he said. "For Kelly and me, that will mean a more difficult time without that advice."
Staff reporter Kris Gutierrez contributed to this report. Alan Melson
By Jeri Petersen senior reporter He answers his phone, "Calloway," just as he did at TCU. His greeting does not reveal where he works, and where he works does not appear to be as important to him as the fact that he is working. Larry Calloway left TCU in May after serving 25 years as controller. In an interview prior to his departure, he indicated that his retirement was not voluntary, but that he left rather than create friction within the institution he loved. Four months later, Calloway is working as vice president of finance for the Gladney Fund. The Gladney Fund is a support organization for Gladney Adoption and Maternity Services in Fort Worth. Ed Crane, president of the Gladney Fund, said Calloway will be responsible not only for the Fund's accounting, but also for managing its nearly $20 million endowment. "The Gladney Fund raises and manages charitable dollars given to benefit the Gladney Center, a nonprofit organization," Crane said. "The Gladney Center has been an institution in Fort Worth for 112 years, and the Fund was created in 1992. Mr. Calloway replaced the woman who helped establish the fund as an entity when she retired to be a full-time mother." Like many professionals displaced late in their careers, Calloway said his self-confidence suffered a blow. He said he was not ready to retire, and he worried about finding a job at his age and at the salary he had been accustomed to. His fears were quickly laid to rest, however. When he received the Gladney offer in July, Calloway said he had two others on the table: a full-time teaching position and a post at another nonprofit organization. "The first few months were a hard time for me," Calloway said. "But by July, everything started falling into place. I had offers from three businesses at the same time, and each of them were tickled to death to have someone of my age and maturity." Crane said age was not a consideration in filling the Gladney position. "We had a number of qualified candidates, none of whom had (Calloway's) experience in nonprofit," he said. "It was not a difficult decision to hire someone with his credentials. He is a high-energy person who is well-liked and who makes friends easily, which is a big plus in this setting." At 62, Calloway exhibits the enthusiasm of a man half his age. "I'm terribly excited about this," Calloway said. "We will be building a new facility, and there is a lot of opportunity here," he said. Calloway said he misses the university atmosphere, and one of the most difficult things about leaving was saying good-bye to staff and students. Cinny Montana, an accounting assistant in student accounts, said Calloway took care of the people in the controller's office, which is now called Financial Services. "On rainy days, Larry would come in and say, 'I think we need something to brighten this day,' and he would bring in pizza," she said. "We called him this week when it was raining and asked him if it was a pizza day. Another assistant, Peg Meroney, took the lead and brought in pizza, but we miss Larry." Rather than having a controller supervise the financial services office, Dick Hoban, previously the assistant controller, serves as director of Financial Services. Meroney, Donna Utley and Wendy Crowley serve as assistant directors. "I took a lot of pride in saying 'I'm the controller of TCU.' That meant a lot to me," Calloway said. "I worked at TCU for 25 years, and 20 of them were the happiest years of my life. I am so grateful for the kind words said about me and for the cards I received by my many friends on campus."
Jeri Petersen
By Matt Welnack staff reporter This week 150 students will receive a surprise in the mail in the form of $1,500, courtesy of TCU. Award letters for the TCU Academic Achievement Award were mailed to the recipients Wednesday. The scholarship will award 50 sophomores, juniors and seniors for having the highest grade point averages in their classes. Mike Scott, director of scholarships and student financial aid, said $225,000 was set aside from the university's general endowment of $745 million to fund the scholarship. "It is now an opportunity for returning students to receive a scholarship," he said. "It was not created in detriment to anyone else because the money was not taken from anyone else." Scott said the new scholarship became a top priority after an increase in student enrollment and campus earnings increased university funds. For a scholarship program to receive so much money its first year is unique, he said. "Part of it is the new chancellor and his new ideas," he said. "He has a new set of priorities and new set of goals." The scholarship is renewable for two years or until the student graduates, Scott said. Students must complete 27 hours and maintain a 3.25 GPA to keep the award, which is credited to their account at $750 a semester. Some students who received the award said they were unaware of the new scholarship. "I'm surprised because there's such a huge pool of candidates who are deserving of this award," said Aggie Alexander, a junior biology/pre-med major. "It makes me feel good to see a reward show up like this without even applying for it." William Koehler, vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the issue of granting an award to returning students has been an ongoing matter. "For as many years as I can remember there were students who were disgruntled because they came to the university without any merit-based award, and they outperformed those with merit-based awards," he said. "It has sort of been a fairness issue with the students." Leo Munson, assistant vice chancellor for academic affairs, said the scholarship is financially on the lower end of the award spectrum, but he is happy to see some reward for returning students. "My feeling has always been that economics have been important, but mine has been a reward system," Munson said. "We finally have something to say congratulations." Scott said there were several other reasons for implementing the new scholarship. "Historically, scholarships were looked at as recruiting tools," he said. "(The scholarship) is probably a response to a retention effort." Senior recipient Richard Collins, a business management major, said the addition of the new scholarship shows a commitment on the part of TCU. "There's a real direction and a real strong commitment to making TCU the best it can be," he said. "(The students') motivation was not about getting this award, but TCU is rewarding them for excellence in the classroom. I think it would encourage some people to work harder to receive some recognition." Shelby Bennett, a sophomore psychology major, said returning students should get some recognition for their hard work. "I always thought that TCU should not just worry about the students in the incoming year," she said. "I think they are really trying to meet the expectations of returning students by rewarding us for our achievements." Alexander said she thinks the scholarship is good motivation for students to work hard. "I'm definitely for a scholarship for returning students because it seems like there are so many scholarships for incoming students," she said. "It is a great incentive for returning students."
Matt Welnack
By Tealy Dippel staff reporter With 2000 more than three months away, House of Student Representatives officials wants students to begin the new millennium now by logging onto its newest Web site, SGA/Y2K. The Student Government Association started plans to redesign its Web site last January, but it wasn't until this summer that the new Web site was completed. It includes polls for student opinions, a student comment card, a chat room and a list of events taking place on campus. There is also a bulletin board, where students can log on to make comments or suggestions. Students can receive a reply within the week, the day or the hour. The SGA/Y2K Web site can be accessed at (www.sga.tcu.edu). SGA President Ben Alexander said the Web site is designed to help SGA and students. "We want programs to make SGA more efficient and effective for students," he said. "Students get involved for a small time but do not really feel a part of things, so we want to make them a valuable part of things that we will be doing on campus." House Vice President Sarah Burleson said the theme of the Web site is increasing student involvement. "We are so fired up and believe in our organization so much," she said. Alexander said the Web site has already received 800 guests since the beginning of August. He said he hopes it will make students feel comfortable communicating with House members. Matt Louis, chairman of the Technology Advancement Committee, said House members want to improve students' access to school-related information. Alexander has done a good job with the Web site design and layout, Louis said. Jason Cordova, chairman of Elections and Regulations, said the new Web site has already proved effective with student government applicants. The position for dining services was open, and at least two out of about five students applied over the Internet for the position, he said. "Technology has been treating us well lately," Cordova said. Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs, said the new SGA Web site is trying to improve communication between students and administrators, a goal he would like accomplished this year. "(We hope the site will) tell us what students think about, and challenge us to provide," he said. Burleson said she thinks the new Web site is the best one she has seen since her arrival at TCU two years ago. "The Web site is more professional and accessible to (other people)," she said.
Tealy Dippel
By Steven Baker staff reporter TCU Master of Business Administration students have prepared for their futures in the business world with a wide variety of undergraduate degrees. Forty-three of the 74 students who enrolled in the 1999 graduate program have undergraduate degrees in non-business subjects like liberal arts, sciences and technology, according to the TCU MBA Program office. Of these students, 39 percent come from countries like Armenia, China, Peru, Romania and Vietnam. MBA student Amanda Hale Garcia, who graduated from Lubbock Christian University with a bachelor's in humanities and foreign languages, said the business world is looking for more versatile employees. This kind of experience is vital, she said. "While I was studying abroad in Germany, I wondered what I was going to do with a liberal arts degree," she said. "I wanted something in international business. "I realized that I wanted to be more marketable in the global business environment. There have been a lot of studies done on Fortune 500 CEOs. The more successful ones usually have a more well-rounded background - not just specifically in business - that makes them stronger in the work force." Garcia is fluent in German and studied German literature and grammar abroad for two semesters at Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany. She said she chose the TCU business program because of the Center for Productive Communication and the program's international connections. "The M. J. Neeley School of Business International Board of Visitors come from all over the world and are interested in TCU graduates," she said. "It is a good marketing and networking tool for MBA students." Peggy Conway, MBA director of admissions, said students with business degrees do not have a better chance of entering the program. "What we like to see are people with lots of different backgrounds, business included, coming together to solve problems and discuss issues," she said. Meredith Rice, who has a bachelor's in medical science from Texas A&M University and a master's in physical therapy from Texas Women's University, worked for three years in some hospitals and a rehabilitation center in Fort Worth. "I wanted a career change," she said. "I enjoyed treating patients, but I felt like I wanted to do more. I wasn't challenged by my current job." Rice said the Neeley school has a good reputation and offers good training and resources. "The MBA degree is pretty general and versatile, so you can apply it to a lot of different disciplines," she said.
Steven Baker |
"He hit the door really hard to make his presence known,
and he just immediately started firing," said Dax Hughes, college
minister at the church.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |