By Matt Stiver staff reporter TCU freshmen will gather at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in Fort Worth this weekend to learn leadership and college-adjustment skills during the inaugural Chancellor's Leadership Retreat. Any first-year student or freshman can enroll. About 40 have done so already. Penny Woodcock, director of the retreat and program coordinator for the Leadership Center, said when the leadership program began at the beginning of the semester, Student Development Services received more applications than they had slots available. Woodcock said SDS then came up with the idea for a retreat. "We were looking for a way to give all the people who weren't able to get into the class a sense of what the program is about, a connection to campus and some leadership development that we feel is important," Woodcock said. "It's another way to bring students into the leadership program and the TCU community." Students will begin the retreat by participating in True Colors, an activity to help determine leadership styles. They will then learn how those styles interact with others. Woodcock said this activity will help students in leadership positions. Students will also learn about diversity, the importance of a liberal arts education and teamwork. Carrie Zimmerman, program coordinator for Frog Camp, said students will also eat, have free time to spend downtown and engage in small-group building activities. "Each of the sessions will be very interactive," Woodcock said. "Students will be up and moving around and meeting new people. It will give them some initiative to have some hands-on experiences as a group." Woodcock said the size of the program will help students make new friends. "One of our goals is to leave the retreat knowing some new people and having a broader support group," she said. Ben Wilkinson, a senior pre-med and business major, said leadership retreats helped him adjust to college as a freshman.Wilkinson, who will serve as an upperclassman counselor at the retreat, started in the Prism I program his freshman year.
Matt Stiver
By Justin Roche staff reporter Fort Worth police recovered a car belonging to a TCU student Wednesday that had been stolen from the freshman parking lot the same day. The vehicle, a red 1992 Acura, was parked on the southwest side of the parking lot near the entrance and taken between 2:30 and 5 p.m. It was found abandoned about 3 1/2 miles away from the TCU campus in the 3700 block of South Freeway around 8 p.m., Fort Worth police said. Jordan Richardson, a freshman political science major and owner of the car, said damage to the vehicle was extensive. "It's pretty much in shambles," he said. "It was a show car, and they took everything that wasn't bolted down." Richardson said the car was stripped of its wheels, lights, stereo system, some engine parts and the steering column was broken. He also said he hasn't estimated the cost of the damage, but he expects it to be significant. "The wheels were about $2,000, and it's just going to go up from there," Richardson said. "I built it up pretty good, and now it's gone." The theft happened two days after a TCU police officer discovered a vehicle, also a red Acura, that had been broken into and damaged. The steering column had been broken, which indicated attempted theft, but the car was not taken, said Det. Kelly Ham. The Acura was parked in the freshman lot. Ham said Richardson's vehicle may be the first car ever stolen from the freshman lot, but he couldn't be sure because records prior to the last four years were hard to access. The incident, however, is the first auto theft in the freshman lot in the past four years, he said. Other incidents in the freshman lot since 1995 include three burglaries, two attempted vehicle thefts and one incident of vandalism. Ham said police are reviewing the video tape from the security cameras during the time of the theft. He also said police officials plan to continue normal patrolling activities and rely on the surveillance cameras in the parking lot. "I personally think what we've been doing has been working," he said. "You're safer parking here on TCU campus than at any mall parking lot. But completely safe? No, that's not realistic." Officer Mark McGuire echoed Ham's remarks about the level of safety in the freshman lot. "That is probably the safest parking lot out here," McGuire said. "It has one entrance and one exit only. That's the biggest reason it's safe." Richardson said this wasn't his first experience with security problems at TCU. His high school graduation practice was held in Daniel-Meyer Coliseum in May, and when he returned to his car after the two-hour practice, he found his car broken into and the stereo missing. The event caused him to think seriously about whether or not he would enroll at TCU, he said. "I was contemplating (not) even coming here after that because safety is a big issue," he said. "It made me re-evaluate what was going on there in terms of safety. (TCU police officials) even told me then that the freshman parking lot was the safest one on campus, and look at what happened." McGuire said the issue of auto theft is something students should be aware of, but they should not live in fear. "Crime happens, and we try to deter it and try to keep it from happening, but sometimes it just does," McGuire said. "That's the same here as anywhere." Richardson also said he plans to talk to TCU police officials and administrators about holding TCU partially responsible for auto theft on campus. "I'm pretty angry with the university," Richardson said. "I pay to go to the school. I pay for the parking, and I plan to pay for security."
Justin Roche
By Jaime Walker skiff staff Chris Powell will show the Fort Worth community how he transformed an ordinary piece of Texas limestone into a detailed sculpture when his work is dedicated in Capps Park Saturday. Powell, TCU studio coordinator and art instructor, created the piece as part of the "First Annual Fort Worth Sculpture Symposium" held this past July. He could not be reached for comment. Sponsored by the Arts Council of Fort Worth, Tarrant County and the Berry Street Initiative, the sculpture dedication ceremony will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday in the north quadrant of Capps Park, located at the corner of Berry Street and College Avenue. The event is designed as a community celebration of Powell's work. "(Powell's) sculpture is a beautiful addition to the park and the city," said Randy Gideon, member of the council's Executive Committee and chairman of the symposium. Greg Shannon, Berry Street Initiative sculpture dedication committee chairman, said Powell's sculpture is "perfect for the community." "Chris Powell's sculpture is truly beautiful," Shannon said. "The vision of the Berry Street project is to enhance the harmony between the community and the businesses on Berry Street," he said. "This work is a visual representation of that harmony." Gideon said Powell's work will draw people to Capps Park because of its design. "(Powell) has such a unique concept of space which gives this piece an interesting dynamic that is just tremendous," he said. Shannon said Capps Park is an appropriate venue for this particular sculpture. The park is named for William Capps, a well-known local capitalist who worked hard to bring TCU to the Fort Worth area. "Capps always loved TCU, and I imagine he would be proud that Powell's sculpture will be at the park," he said. "The whole city should be proud." Mac Churchill, chairman of the Arts Council, said all of the sculptures created at the symposium will give the city more aesthetic appeal. "These works are all a manifestation of the spirit of this city," he said. Shannon said the summer symposium offered the sculptors and Fort Worth citizens an opportunity to interact as the sculptures were being created. Held at the Fort Worth Botanic Gardens, the event brought Powell and five other local artists together in an effort to produce large sculptures for the city's parks and other pubic areas. Gideon said the event provided a venue for the public to learn how sculptures are made and to watch them being created. The symposium was designed to raise money and awareness about public artwork. "Saturday's event is the culmination of months of work," he said. Shannon said the event was a success because it brought many community members and private entities together.
Jaime Walker |
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