By Justin Roche staff reporter Three men were arrested for possession of firearms early Thursday after their vehicle was identified as a possible match for one used in two armed robberies near campus earlier this month. The car, a 1990 gray Oldsmobile, matched the description of a car used in armed robberies behind the TCU Bookstore on Nov. 5 and 11. Four of the car's license plate characters also matched those belonging to the car involved in the robberies, according to a police report. The suspects, Nathan Loftis, 18, Chauncey Wade, 22, and Jason O'Malley, 24, were charged with unlawful possession of a weapon after a .38 caliber pistol and a 9mm were found in the car by police in the 6600 block of Camp Bowie Boulevard at 1:25 a.m. Thursday. Wade was also arrested on charges of parole violation after a criminal background check revealed a prior burglary conviction. A check on O'Malley revealed him as having two outstanding traffic warrants and as a registered gang member. The men were taken to Tarrant County Jail, each with a $5,000 bond. Loftis posted bond Thursday. Wade and O'Malley were still incarcerated as of Thursday evening, Tarrant County Jail officials said. Fort Worth police spotted the car on 8th Avenue near TCU after 1 a.m. and monitored it until the driver made an illegal U-turn on Camp Bowie. O'Malley had been sitting on the two guns, which police found laying in the back seat after they asked the suspects to exit the car. None of the men had a license for a concealed handgun or claimed ownership of the guns, according to the police report. TCU Assistant Chief J.C. Williams said the time, suspects, weapons and area of the arrest are closely related to the two armed robberies on Nov. 5 and 11. Loftis, 5 foot 11 inches, 192 pounds, and O'Malley, 6 foot 3 inches, 190 pounds, both match the descriptions of suspects involved in the two robberies. Photos were taken of the men and will be shown to victims of the robberies, but Williams said no official connection has been made with the three men arrested Thursday. Williams said TCU and Fort Worth police will continue to keep the area under surveillance even though an arrest of possible suspects has been made. "(The arrest) isn't going to change the visibility of the patrol," he said. "We're going to continue working with Fort Worth police and patrolling though the end of the semester."
Justin Roche
By Alan Melson staff reporter As students at Texas A&M University gathered Thursday to comfort one another in the wake of the bonfire collapse that has claimed at least eleven lives, members of the TCU community expressed their shock, regret and anger over the tragedy. The "Aggie Bonfire", which was going to be lit Nov. 25 at a traditional pep rally before A&M's football game vs. the University of Texas, collapsed early Thursday morning, while almost 70 students were working on it. The log structure, which would have stood almost 60 feet high when completed, toppled inward, crushing several workers and trapping others inside. A&M officials confirmed late Thursday afternoon that at least eleven students were dead and 28 injured, with others possibly still trapped inside.
Melissa Vaughan, a junior management major who helped plan the vigil, said TCU students should band together to show their support for A&M students dealing with the loss. "I'm from Houston, and I know a lot of people at A&M who were involved with Bonfire," Vaughan said. "As fellow college students here in Texas, we need to show our support." Carter BloodCare Centers in Fort Worth are asking for blood donations to be used for victims of the collapse. The nearest center, located at 5429 S. Hulen St., can be reached at (817) 263-5810. Student Government Association President Ben Alexander said he was planning on sending a letter of support to the A&M student government. "Our message to them is that our thoughts are with their campus community in this time of shock and grief, and we hope that they can work through this together ... it's not going to be easy, and it may take their university a long time to recover, but we want them to know that we will do what we can to help them," Alexander said. SGA President-Elect Ben Jenkins also voiced his thoughts on the collapse. "When you think of Aggie Bonfire, you think of such spirit and tradition ... you just don't think of something like this," Jenkins said. "So many of us at TCU have friends at A&M, and we just want to provide support to them." One of the A&M student victims whose name has been released was Jerry Self, a sophomore engineering technology major from Arlington. Several TCU students who attended Arlington Lamar High School with Self remembered him as a kind person who would do anything for his friends. "He was one of the most amazing, caring individuals you would ever find," said Andrea Biesi, a sophomore advertising/public relations major. "No matter what circumstance it was, he was always able to help you out." Nicky Zimmer, a sophomore nursing major, said Self played football at Lamar, and was known for his friendly, positive outlook. "He was an awesome, wonderful guy ... you could rely on him to be there for you," Zimmer said. "It is so sad to hear something like this." Eyewitnesses said the structure, interwoven into 'stacks' and held together by steel wire, collapsed without warning. A&M sophomore Diana Estrada said she was about 200 yards away when it fell. "It just toppled over, and the wires snapped and lights started sparking and going on and off," she said. "We ran over there as fast as we could, and we could see legs sticking out and hear people screaming." The bonfire structure has collapsed one time before, in Fall 1994, but no one was injured. Immediately afterward, it was rebuilt and used for the traditional pep rally, which normally draws thousands of spectators and features football players and coaches, "yell" leaders and the Aggie Band. TCU students voiced differing opinions on the tragedy. "A friend at A&M e-mailed me about it this morning, and I spent the day thinking about it," said Martha Velden, a freshman premajor. "I was upset by several comments I heard in class here this morning from people blaming this on the bonfire tradition. Tradition is such an important thing at A&M, but I know that the most important thing for everyone there right now is concern for the victims and their families." A&M President Ray Bowen said Bonfire would be canceled this year, but a decision has not yet been made on whether to renew the tradition next fall. Many A&M students and alumni discussing the subject in Internet chat rooms Thursday expressed their hopes that it would return. However, Amanda Harvey, a freshman art history and studio art major, said the bonfire is a tradition that should have ended long ago.
Horned Frog yearbook photographs from the 1940s and 1950s show smaller bonfires being held at some school pep rallies. This has not been done at TCU in several decades since safety concerns were raised by administrators and community officials. Some reporters who attended the school's press conference Thursday afternoon raised questions about the safety of the project. The bonfire has been overseen by faculty advisers but built almost completely by student volunteers who undergo special skills and safety training prior to starting the project. Many A&M students who worked closely with Bonfire preparations are still trying to sort out their emotions as they deal with the deaths of friends and co-workers. Chris Bathurst, a fifth-year senior at A&M who served as a second platoon leader in the Aggie Corps of Cadets, said this is a devastating blow to the campus and to the spirit for which the school is known. "This is ripping us apart," Bathurst said. "Here is something that is such a big tradition that means so much to us, and for such a tragic thing to happen there is almost unbelievable. What really hits home is the fact that it was on campus, and so many students were involved. "I was going to be out there in a few days doing what they were doing, and to think that it could have been me ... that's what hits us so hard," he said. The bonfire collapse is the third tragedy to hit the school this semester. On Sept. 18, five people were killed in the crash of a plane used by the A&M skydiving club, and last month an A&M student and five visiting Baylor University students walking to a fraternity party near campus were killed by a truck whose driver had fallen asleep. Bathurst said this latest event is yet another blow to the campus. "This has been a semester of hardship for us," he said. Bathurst said although classes were not officially canceled, many professors made class attendance optional Thursday in light of the tragedy. A school-wide memorial service was held Thursday night at the campus coliseum, Reed Arena. Throughout the day, groups of students and rescue teams continued to work to help dismantle the rubble and free anyone still trapped underneath. "The student body is really coming together to show the 'Aggies helping Aggies' spirit," Bathurst said. "In addition to the people helping move logs, we have other students coordinating a blood drive and holding prayer vigils on campus. The mood is somber, but everyone has maintained a helpful attitude." Adam Chabira, a senior biomedical science major at A&M, said he hated to see something so important to Aggie school spirit end in tragedy. "It really brings up the age-old question of why bad things happen to good people," Chabira said. "It's a shame that people had to lose their lives over something that is supposed to represent a fun tradition and school spirit." At the University of Texas at Austin, A&M's traditional rival and opponent for their Nov. 26 football game, traditional cheers for the Longhorns have been replaced by messages of condolence to the Aggie community. University officials said the 307-foot UT Tower that serves as a focal point on the campus will be darkened Monday night in honor of the victims. In addition, the annual "Hex Rally" spirit gathering where UT supporters place a good-natured "curse" on the A&M team has been replaced by a candlelight vigil in support of A&M. Students will wear white ribbons, symbolizing the connection the universities have by displaying the color the two schools share.
This report contains information from the Associated Press.
Alan Melson
By Lety Laurel assistant campus editor It's cheaper than TCU, offers some of the same classes and it's just a few miles away. The University of Texas at Arlington entered TCU's backyard when it opened its Fort Worth Riverbend Campus June 24. Offering smaller engineering, computer science and business classes at state-school cost, it joined the University of North Texas in its expansion into the Fort Worth community. Don Mills, vice chancellor for student affairs, said those universities' presence in Fort Worth does not create extra competition for TCU. "I don't see us needing to protect our local turf against them because we are not the same kind of institution," he said. "Students come to TCU because of the environment, the challenges on campus and for the value of the institution." The Commission on the Future of TCU met Wednesday to begin discussing possible improvements on campus. Throughout this year, the commission will examine the status of the university and determine how to establish worldwide recognition. Patrick Walter, professor of engineering, said the key to academic distinction is to identify the strengths of the university and build on them.
Mills said the commission, which consists of 17 task forces, will consider improvements such as the possible expansion and creation of new departments and academic programs. It will also consider the formation of satellite schools to make TCU a more competitive university. The commission will issue its final report in June. "We need to look at what we have to offer," he said. "It's clear we can't be all things to everyone. We need to always be aware that there are some things they can do better and at less cost. But there are things that we do better, and that's what we have to make sure stays to the front." Richard Rinewalt, chairman of the TCU computer science department and Commission member, said competition between universities is increasing as each institution fights to maintain or increase enrollment. "The competition between universities and colleges for students is becoming more heated," he said. "And that means reaching out to territories of other universities." Although UTA's enrollment numbers are steadily increasing, Rinewalt said its engineering and computer science department in Fort Worth has not created more competition for TCU's computer science department. "UTA has been 20 miles away for 40 years, and the fact that they moved 10 miles closer is not a big difference," he said. "The difference between TCU and Arlington is much more than location." However, with about 200 students currently enrolled in the Riverbend campus and class sizes ranging from 12 to 20 students, UTA is attempting to appeal to the needs of the Fort Worth community, said Anne Robillard, director of marketing at UTA. "The university can take the stance that we're on a higher plain, but in reality, any institution that deals with dollars and cents is a business," Walter said. "Like any business, we have to assess the niches that best satisfy us. Then the goal is to be the first to fulfill it." With smaller classes and personalized instruction, TCU offers more personal treatment to students than state schools, Walter said. "But since (UTA) has more expansive facilities because of the duration of (its) programs, it has a more extensive number of graduates in the area to essentially enhance their recognition and establish graduate educational programs," he said. "Everyone recognizes that UTA has an engineering program, and we're still advising people in the industry that we have an engineering program." Lynne Heider, a senior engineering major, said the creation of the Tucker Technology Center, which should open in about a year, is evidence that the TCU engineering department is continuing to improve. "We have a real strong program that I think will continue to grow," she said. "Price-wise, UTA is going to be attractive to students, but I still think TCU has a better engineering program. The professors are caring and the department is structured well for a well-rounded education." Expanding education Linda Lai, professor of nursing, said TCU offers students opportunities that most satellite campuses, such as the Riverbend Campus and UNT's Health Science Center, may not. "I think opening a satellite campus is a double-edged sword," she said. "It's good for the convenience of location, but satellite schools can become commuter schools. TCU has a unique personality. No one has to leave TCU to go somewhere else while they are here studying." Lai said TCU is different from UNT and UTA because it is a residential university that encourages student participation in campus activities and extracurricular activities. "We have an awful lot to offer students," she said. "We have a unique resident campus which I think is important for people because when they graduate, there's not an opportunity to take advantage of what they want to pursue. It allows students to have a golden opportunity to develop interests they didn't think they had." UNT joined the Texas College of Osteopathic Medicine in Fort Worth in 1975 and created the Health Science Center in 1993. It did not become a recognized university system until July 1999. "We're looking to be a primary player in public education in the North Texas area," said Roddy Wolper, director of news and information at UNT. Wolper said there is a growing demand for higher education, and universities are working to meet the demand. "I think there is room for everybody, both public and private," he said. "We are different personalities, and we all have different things that we offer. I wouldn't think the growth of a public school would inhibit the growth of a private university." Peggy Conway, MBA admissions director, said the M.J. Neeley School of Business is in a transitional phase of development along with TCU. "We don't know where we should be going, but we do know what new and exciting things we can do," she said. "This is the time to determine what we should be, what we want to do, but we have to decide what fits with what TCU wants to do." The business school will not be highly recognized until it improves the technological side of business, said Melissa Stinson, a junior finance major. "TCU needs to catch up with technology, because right now we are very behind," she said. "I think students will start going to other schools that are more up-to-date. Maybe the presence of the UTA school will not make a difference in the beginning, but as the school grows in reputation and gets established, it will eventually create some competition." Although the commission will likely consider expansion to add visibility to TCU, Edward Douthett, professor of accounting, said expansion is not as important as academic ratings for the continued success of the university. "It is not necessary to expand - size doesn't matter to me," he said. "We can establish a good reputation without being big. When our academic reputation improves, everything improves - funding, contributions to the university and more scholarships for students." Although UTA and UNT's move into Fort Worth does not constitute a threat to TCU, Mills said TCU should remember the Fort Worth community is the foundation for its success. "We must never forget we are a Fort Worth, Texas, school, and that's were our strength comes from," he said.
Lety Laurel
By Matt Welnack staff reporter Students voiced their recommendations on the improvement of the university through the Student Relations Committee Thursday, with topics ranging from campus security to international education to facility improvements. Chairman Clarence Scharbauer III will meet with the Board of Trustees today to convey student concerns brought up during the meeting. The Student Relations Committee meets once before and once after the Board of Trustees meeting. The committee is made up of leaders of various student organizations and several trustees. Presentations were made on the topics of student retention, campus life, facilities on campus and the global perspective. Scharbauer said he does not think any one issue was more important than the others. "I don't like to look at it as what is most important," Scharbauer said. "This committee is to sit and listen to students' concerns and the ideas they have for the future of this university. At some point, there will be emphasis on certain things. This is the students' way to input to the board." Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs Don Mills said the meeting is important for two reasons. Trustees find out what students want and students get to see that the trustees actually listen to what they have to say, he said. "They can engage trustees in conversation so that students also understand that trustees care a lot about them," Mills said. "I think it was a very productive meeting in that regard." Mills said students should not expect a new student center or funding for minority scholarships immediately, but he said students should be reassured that the process is underway. He said the board usually responds favorably to student concerns. Student Government Association President Ben Alexander said Thursday's meeting was productive. He agreed with Mills that the board will seriously take into account what the students have to say. "I think it was a good start for us to be able to put issues out in front of the board again and say, 'This is what students really want to see happen at TCU in the next few years,'" Alexander said. One of the issues that Scharbauer said is on the board's top priority list is safety on campus. He said in the past few years, TCU has spent about $750,000 to light the campus. Mills said he agreed with students that the campus needs more lights. However, Mills said people who live around the university might object to more lights. House Vice President Sarah Burleson gave a presentation on student retention. She said TCU is good at bringing students to campus, but it has a problem keeping students. TCU's 1998 retention rate for freshman students was 83 percent, up three percent from 1997. The 1997 average retention rate for a top 50 university was 93.2 percent and the rate for a tier two school was 85.4 percent. Burleson said TCU needs a comprehensive program for first-year students to keep them involved on campus. She also said the Chancellor's Leadership Program needs to be expanded to all students and the program needs to be a class that can be taken for credit. The issue of diversity was also discussed. Brenda Gomez, president of the Organization of Latin American Students, said more minority faculty and staff need to be hired to help increase diversity on campus. She also said that it will take a personal commitment to make increased diversity happen. "I don't think there is a trustee or anyone who doesn't share the same concerns that (Gomez) shares," Scharbauer said. "It's getting there. It's how we do it, it's how we market (diversity), it's how we find these individuals to come. Diversity is a key word and everybody here is on the same page." Renovations to the Brown-Lupton Student Center and the Rickel Building was also discussed by the committee. Several different models were presented. Alexander said according to surveys done by Tripp, Umbach & Associates, students want more services provided in the Student Center and recreation building. The proposal to rebuild the Student Center calls for an additional 82,000 square feet. The board will meet in January in addition to its fall and spring meetings. Scharbauer said the board needs more time to discuss the issues that were brought up by students.
Matt Welnack
By Steven Baker staff reporter Beastie Boys music, free food and video games were only a distraction to the four-hour promotional event that took place Thursday in the two white tents next to Mary Couts Burnett Library. The event was the final objective in a semester-long project for the 14 students enrolled in the Marketing Application Project class. Administrators at Enterprise Rent-A-Car presented $3,000 to these students to research, advertise and present information about future consumers.
"We have done interviews, Internet research and a presentation for Enterprise," he said. "So when TCU students think of a rent-a-car company now, hopefully, Enterprise is going to be the first thing that pops in their head." Rebecca Beasley, marketing instructor and fourth-year faculty adviser for the course, said this semester the students have controlled the direction the class has taken. "I have not had to do much teaching this semester," she said. "This is a fun class. If you enjoy what you do, you never go to work." More than 1,000 students showed up for the free food, video games, free prizes and T-shirts that awaited them in the tents. Before the students could enter the food tent, they had to fill out a questionnaire. The questionnaire was designed to inform Enterprise how much students used the Internet, where they vacation and what they know about rent-a-car companies. Students said the entertainment surrounding the event is what was most attractive. "Everybody said there was going to be free food and job opportunities, so of course I came to the event," said Mariu Iabichela, a TCU Intensive English Program student. Pier 1 Imports allocated $2,500 to the class for research last year. "When we came to last year's event, it was a great turnout," said Ken Nicholson, Enterprise regional vice president. "Part of this project is name recognition for us. If we can create awareness and career opportunities at the same, then this is a great opportunity." The students will add the results of Thursday's polls with the previous data and send a final report to Enterprise's headquarters in St. Louis in the next couple of weeks. "Our class has become a close group through the activities that we have done inside and outside of class," Anderson said. "Everybody in this class is very intelligent and respected. It has been a very rewarding experience."
Steven Baker
Jessica Schambach staff reporter To involve African-American graduates on campus, the Black Alumni Alliance was formed and is now an integral part of the university, representatives said. The BAA was organized last summer, but Homecoming 1999 kicked off the board of director's first inaugural meeting, said Darron Turner, director of intercultural education and services. Turner, who is also vice president of community services on the BAA's board of directors, said Homecoming weekend was a great time to get the alliance underway. "The biggest piece was to get us back together and kind of do what some of the other groups have done, like meet on a regular basis, but also to be involved in our alma-mater," he said. Director of Alumni Relations Kristi Hoban helped organize the BAA and said it is beneficial to the university. "The more that you can get folks coming back within their groups, then the more you can get them to come back to campus for events, like Homecoming," Hoban said. "And the more that we can get all of those different constituent groups coming back, the more involved we can get them in the university as a whole." Turner said more African-American alumni attended Homecoming than ever before. In addition, people asked to be placed on the BAA's mailing list, he said. The BAA is a piece of the overall alumni umbrella and is not an effort to dissociate African-American alumni from others at TCU, Turner said. Hoban agreed and said the BAA is not an issue of segregation. "People associate themselves with whatever group they were a part of at TCU," she said. "And whether that be a fraternity or sorority or the band, that's who they relate to. People relate and they want to have a reunion with the people they were the closest to while they were here on campus." Turner said the BAA not only reunites African-American alumni, but also educates current students. One organizational objective is to provide culturally educational programming, such as scheduling heritage month events. "We want to get alumni involved in the life of undergraduate students," he said. "We want to provide an opportunity for them to network and just be involved in life of the community, whether through community service or educational studies." Zuberi Williams, a senior marketing major, attended the BAA's Homecoming events and said he will join the organization after graduation. "Minority students, specifically black students, at TCU don't see the black successful alumni in the workplace," he said. "By having them come back and be a part of the alumni celebration, minority students can see positive role models. It allows me to talk to people who have the same interests that I have and who are successful. And it encourages me to follow them and become successful." Tamara Taylor, a junior business management major, said she doesn't know much about the BAA, but said it's a good idea. "It's just something that we can be a part of," she said. "It gives us a sense of belonging."
Jessica Schambach |
As a show of sympathy for the victims and the A&M community,
Chancellor Michael Ferrari said all flags at TCU will be flown at half-staff
until Monday. A prayer vigil sponsored by University Ministries will also
be held at 5:00 p.m. tonight in the Robert Carr Chapel.
"I think it's one thing to have school spirit, but
it's another thing to take it to the extreme that it ends up costing human
lives," Harvey said. "I don't think they need some object like
this to show how strong their school spirit is ... the student body itself
should be enough."
"We need to create an increasing identity in the community,
because in reality, our impact has been small," he said. "To
increase our competitiveness, first we have to have professional development
in continued education programs focused on the needs of local industry."
Josh Anderson, a senior marketing and management major,
said most of the money went to the funding of Thursday's promotional event.| The TCU Daily Skiff © 1998, 1999 Credits |