By Alan Melson staff reporter No TCU students were involved in the London rail tragedy Tuesday, in which 70 are confirmed dead and 100 are still unaccounted for, the director of the TCU London Centre said Wednesday. Lisa Atkins, London Centre director, said Paddington Station is a few miles from where TCU students live and study but is not often used by them. "Paddington is just far enough away from the London Centre that it's not something they would use every day, such as the Underground (subway system)," Atkins said. "We don't have any interns working out in that direction, so it really doesn't affect us directly." The accident occurred during morning rush hour just outside the station, located in northwest London. BBC News reported that a westbound train apparently ran through red and yellow warning signals and collided with a London-bound commuter train, causing a massive fire that engulfed several cars and sent other cars careening across the tracks. Paddington Station is now completely closed, and trains normally arriving there are being diverted while debris is cleared from the tracks. More than a dozen rail stations encircle London, each one serving different destinations. Many of the TCU students studying there are leaving town this weekend to travel by train during Fall Break, but most said they are leaving from one of the other stations. Eric Fretz, a senior computer science major studying at the Centre, said he and his wife are going to Ireland this weekend, and their plans are unaffected. "From what I understand, the station where the crash happened is used mainly by business commuters," Fretz said. "We're leaving from a different station." Manja Kargbo, a senior communications major from Marymount University who is living in the same building as the TCU group, said the accident makes her less comfortable riding on trains. "A lot of my friends don't want to go to the front or rear of trains anymore," Kargbo said. "They want to stay in the middle to avoid possible impact in a crash. The train is the best form of transportation here, but (the accident) makes you worry a lot more." The accident occurred in almost the same place as a similar crash two years ago, in which seven people died and 150 were injured. Aslef, the train drivers' union in Britain, is now demanding the installation of a fail-safe automatic train protection system to avoid future problems with signals. The new system has met with resistance from rail companies who say the system is too expensive. Fretz said news coverage in London has been dominated by the tragedy, and students have been talking about it in classes. Despite all the discussion, however, Jennifer Klein, a junior English major, said she was not going to worry about traveling by train. "It's really the only way to get around Europe," she said. "Personally, I'm so excited about this Fall Break trip that it doesn't really worry me. The trains have been generally safe for a long time, so this doesn't change my mind." Atkins said recent statistics show that more than 35,000 deaths have resulted from car accidents in the United Kingdom during the past decade, compared to only 56 from rail accidents. "Personally, it won't affect my use of trains," she said. "I don't like to fly either, but if I wanted to get from London to Fort Worth, I would have to get on a plane. People have to use the trains, so you just have to deal with it."
Alan Melson
By Matt Welnack staff reporter The sun has not yet cracked the horizon, dew is still on the ground and 12 of Army ROTC's members are beginning their morning workout. It is not just any workout though. The 10 men and two women that make up the Ranger Challenge team run up to seven miles with 55-pound backpacks, called rucks. They do pushups before skills activities, such as weapon handling and grenade throwing, to prepare themselves for the stress of competition. They train twice a day, three days a week for eight weeks to prepare for the Ranger Challenge Competition held at Fort Hood in Killeen Oct. 22 and 23. The first training session begins at 6 a.m. and lasts for about an hour and a half. The second session starts at 4 p.m. and continues until 5:30 p.m.The team has three more weeks to prepare for the competition. It has never finished lower than fourth place and placed first in the competition two years ago. Joel St. Clair, a junior nursing major and ROTC's platoon sergeant, said the competition is a good chance for Ranger Challenge members to display skills they have refined since the first day of the fall semester. "Ranger Challenge pushes you to be the best you can be," St. Clair said. "It's not just about working hard. It's about developing the attitude of giving your all. It's time to let it all go." The two teams, made up of six members each, will compete with about 30 other schools from New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The competition includes a physical fitness test, patrolling test, six-kilometer race, grenade assault course, M-16 rifle disassembly/assembly course, land navigation tests and a ten-kilometer ruck run.
"It's more mental than physical," he said. "There is a physical aspect because all of the events involve running of some sort. It's more mental because when we get to competition, we probably have one of the smallest teams when it comes to physical size. You just have to be mentally prepared." St. Clair said Ranger Challenge members are considered to be the top cadets in the ROTC program. "(Other students) are going to think we are nuts," he said. "They are going to see fast-paced, loud, motivated and hard-core training sessions." Foster said he also thinks Ranger Challenge members can perform activities that are more physically demanding than those performed by other college students. "(Students observing us) would probably think they are seeing something done that a majority of the students on campus can't do," he said. "It really shows the heart and dedication that Ranger team members have." Logan Grover, a senior criminal justice and physics major, said the Ranger Challenge team will prepare him for his future in the military. "It is a valuable insight into what type of challenges I foresee for myself in the military," he said. "Competition is pretty fierce, but afterward, we are all going to be friends. But during competition, (the competitors) are my adversaries."
Matt Welnack
By Matt Stiver staff reporter Is the term "freshman" gender exclusive? Should staff members receive the same benefits as faculty members? TCU faculty senators will debate these topics and hear several briefings when the Faculty Senate holds its second meeting of the fall semester at 3:30 p.m. today in the Sid Richardson Hall Board Room. Andy Fort, an associate professor of religion and a member of the Faculty Senate, proposed at the first Senate meeting that TCU should consider changing the title "freshman" to "first-year student" as a matter of inclusiveness. "We live in a culture that takes man to stand for all humans," he said. "This is one of those places that, all by itself, is not such a big deal. But it's part of a world view that privileges man as standing for all humans." Fort said although some members of the TCU community may ridicule his motion, it has value. "It's the kind of thing that's easy to ridicule or make fun of," he said. "For example, we say 'manhole covers.' Are we supposed to say 'personhole covers?' But there is a philosophical principle underneath about trying to include all people in humanity rather than suggesting that man stands for everyone." Senate Chairman Roger Pfaffenberger, a professor of finance and decision sciences, said Fort's proposal has merit, although the results of the debate are uncertain. "The word 'freshman' has always bothered me because of the 'man' part," he said. "Referring to students as first-year, second-year, third-year, fourth-year and fifth-year resonates with me. I can see the wisdom in (changing it). This is a notion that merits discussion. I have no idea how that motion is going to go. It may carry, or it may not." In other business, Ken Morgan, chairman of the geology department and TCU's Resources, Insurance and Benefits Committee, will propose that a member of the Staff Assembly be appointed co-chairperson of the RIB committee. Morgan said he is working to create equal benefits for all TCU employees, whether faculty or staff members. "What I have always said is there would be a coordination of recommendations to the administration through one committee," Morgan said. "It will improve the communication lines so that when (the RIB committee) recommends something, we will have had cooperation (of the Faculty Senate and Staff Assembly). This is not change for change sake. This is change to make it better." Pfaffenberger said he supports having a staff member co-chair the RIB committee. "I think it's a wonderful idea," he said. "As I'm going to say in the Senate meeting tomorrow, this is a no-brainer. I think that will be the case." Morgan said he anticipates some faculty discontent about parity of benefits. Parity should occur with retirement contributions, health care and the tuition benefits package, he said. "I think there are some issues that must be treated in an equal way," Morgan said. "Not every faculty member agrees with that." Pfaffenberger said, however, that he does not expect faculty members to oppose equal benefits. "Most everyone I've talked to is supportive," Pfaffenberger said. "There is a feeling among faculty members that the staff at TCU do a wonderful job and deserve equal benefits." Senate members will also hear updates from Larry Lauer, associate vice chancellor for communications and public affairs, Dean of Admissions Sandra Ware and Physical Plant Director Will Stallworth. Pfaffenberger said Ware will discuss university admissions policies, while Stallworth will report on the status of campus renovations. Lauer said he will update faculty members on the Commission on the Future of TCU. Faculty members' participation on the Commission is important, he said. "I think it is a major project of (Chancellor Michael R.) Ferrari's," Lauer said. "I think he is very sincere about asking them to give their ideas on what TCU should do to move to the next level. (Participating in the Commission) would not be a waste of time because many of their opinions and ideas will be considered."
Matt Stiver
By Lori Eshelman staff reporter The streets and parking lots around Daniel-Meyer Coliseum were filled Wednesday night with cars and school buses full of people flocking to see a literary legend. But instead of a performance by a famous poet, all that was left to entertain them was a sign in the grass that read "Maya Angelou has canceled." Less than eight hours before her scheduled appearance, Maya Angelou canceled her speaking engagement at TCU because of an illness in her family. Kathryne McDorman, chairwoman of the TCU Honors Program and organizer of the Fogelson Honors Forum, said she was informed late Wednesday morning that Angelou was not coming to TCU. Angelou said her brother is gravely ill. There are no plans to reschedule Angelou's appearance as of now, McDorman said. "Right now, we are still thunderstruck that something like this would happen, especially six hours before an event," she said. Alison Trinkle, McDorman's assistant, said TCU was working with Angelou's representatives, Eric Wold and Kathryn Poston of Washington Speakers Bureau Inc., the company that coordinates Angelou's speaking engagements. Poston declined to comment on Angelou's situation and said the cancellation was handled by Wold. Wold could not be reached for comment. Chancellor Michael R. Ferrari said as many as 4,000 people were expected to attend the event, and although the Office of Communications attempted to notify as many people as soon as possible, many people from the community did not hear of the cancellation until they arrived at the campus. "We're shocked and disappointed," said Sharon Johnson, an English teacher at Trinity High School in Euless. She and a group of students from Trinity had driven to TCU to see Angelou. Arlington resident Barbara Sample learned of the news after she and her husband arrived at the coliseum. "I'm so disappointed because I was really looking forward to seeing Maya Angelou," she said. McDorman said she would like to apologize on behalf of the Honors Program to anyone at TCU or in the community who was inconvenienced by the last-minute cancellation. "In all of my wildest nightmares of what could have gone wrong, this was not one of them," she said. Ferrari said Angelou's last-minute cancellation is just one of several recent cancellations by the performer, and he does not want to reschedule her appearance. According to daily newspapers around the country, Angelou has canceled at least four performances since April, often citing personal illness as her reason. The Houston Chronicle reported in June that the African Overseas Union sued Angelou after she failed to show up at an awards ceremony, claiming she breached a contract that stated she would attend the event on Dec. 5. The nonprofit group said Angelou did not provide any explanation as to why she would not appear and asked her to pay the losses up to $75,000 they incurred as a result of her cancellation. "Against the backdrop of this, (Angelou's cancellation) has raised serious questions," Ferrari said. Erin Savage, a junior early childhood education major, said she was really disappointed when she heard Angelou wasn't coming. "I really wanted to see her, so it makes me disappointed," she said. "It's a sad thing that everyone at TCU and in the community will not be able to hear her, especially if they do not reschedule." Savage said Angelou should have made more of an effort to let TCU know sooner about the cancellation because there was so much preparation that went into the event. "This doesn't make her seem like she has any credibility," she said. "Especially since she's done this kind of thing before." James Buckner, a senior music education and theory composition major, said Angelou should have given more of an explanation for her decision. "It is sad if there is something legitimately wrong, but my first inclination is that she's blowing us off," he said. Brian Estrada, sophomore political science major, said he would like to see Angelou's performance rescheduled. "It's good for the university to bring in high-profile speakers when they actually show up," he said. "I just feel sorry for the people at the Honors Program who spent so much time on the event." Ferrari said although this is a disappointment for the university and for people throughout the city and beyond, it will not dampen the university's enthusiasm to bring other well-known speakers to campus. "This will have no effect on our determination to bring a first-class lecture series to TCU," he said. Ferrari said despite the community's disappointment with the situation, it was out of the university's hands. "This is a major disappointment to the university and the community, but at the same time, these things happen and we have to be sensitive to the situation," Ferrari said. "The best thing we can do now is express our compassion for Angelou and hope that all things work out well for her."
Lori Eshelman |
Chris Foster, a senior pre-med major and team commander,
said the competition is not only physically exhausting but also mentally
fatiguing.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |