Officials discuss possibility of law school

By Chris Gibson
Skiff Staff

Chancellor Michael Ferrari confirmed Tuesday that he and officials from Texas Wesleyan University have discussed the possibility of TCU acquiring or joining with Texas Wesleyan University School of Law.
The addition of a law school would address specific issues outlined in the Commission on the Future of TCU released last semester. The report called for a study on how a law degree would bring TCU increased visibility and improve its national academic reputation.

(full story)

FBI enlisted to help with artifact theft
Police form 3 viable profiles

By Ram Luthra
Staff Reporter

TCU investigators have requested help from the FBI to aid in the investigation of the reported thefts of 110 Peruvian, pre-Columbian pottery artifacts from a storage room in the Mary Couts Burnett Library.
The pottery artifacts, which are valued at approximately $267,700, are from the Aztec civilizations, dating back 2,700 years ago. They were reported missing to the TCU Police Department on Feb. 23, 2001, but they were last reportedly seen on Feb. 1, 2000.

(full story)

Students raise concerns over safety plans

By Chrissy Braden
Staff Reporter

One year ago, Matt Klein was sitting in his apartment in Walker Hall of the Tom Brown-Pete Wright Residential Community when he heard commotion outside his front door. Residents of the residential community had been instructed to go to the basement of Walker Hall for shelter from a nearby tornado.
Klein, a senior speech communications major, said no one in the building warned him about the tornado and he wished TCU would do more to notify students of safety measures during a tornado.

(full story)

Campus installs lightning sensors

By Alisha Brown
Staff Reporter

TCU safety officials have installed sensory devices which may prevent personal injuries caused by lightning or tornadoes.
The recent stormy weather and one-year anniversary of the F-2 twister, which struck downtown Fort Worth, has raised awareness of the need for new safety measures on campus, safety director Randy Cobb said.
He said the safety department finished installing four of five lightning sensors, designed by Thorguard Inc., in January.

(full story)

Hollywood producer, writer tells students ‘how it is’
Kurt Inderbitzen speaks to students; picks scripts for possible production

By Melissa Christensen
Staff Reporter

Radio-TV-film students received a dose of Hollywood honesty from movie producer and writer Kurt Inderbitzen Tuesday as he commented on six script pitches, choosing only three to read for possible production.
“He was really telling it how it is, being forceful, honest and abrupt,” said Darren Theisfield, a junior radio-TV-film major, who attended the two-hour session in preparation for his directing pitch. “The business seems much more intimidating and scary, but it’s good, too, because now we all know how to structure (a pitch) in the future.”

(full story)

Nokia honors three women

By Julie Ann Matonis
Staff Reporter

Two students and one faculty member received the Nokia Research Award at the Women and Community Dinner in the Student Center Ballroom Tuesday night.
Lisa Munger, a senior political science major; Margaret Lowry, a graduate student in the English department; and Sharon Harris, a professor in the English department, are the first recipients of the award. Each will receive $350 from Nokia.
Vanessa Nickson, manager of community relations for Nokia, announced the awards.

(full story)

SGA bill causes budget debate

By Sarah McClellan
Skiff Staff

Student Government Association members made an unprecedented move, Tuesday, when they passed a bill that increased a proposed budget by 50 percent.
Amnesty International, a group that writes letters to governments that violate human rights, proposed a budget of $1,000 for the upcoming Human Rights Week.
SGA’s finance committee allocated the group $1,500.
“My committee felt that it would be a better program if they had a little bit more money,” Deanna Bennett, finance chairwoman of House of Student Representatives and SGA treasurer, said. “They really wanted to get their budget as tight as possible, so they had a better chance of it getting passed.”

(full story)

After the Storm
Plans for disaster safety come too late

It was a year ago today that a devastating F2 tornado hit downtown Fort Worth.
It was a year ago today that residents of the city began picking up the pieces.
As with any tragedy to hit a community, whether a natural disaster or a school shooting, the devastating tornado that tore through downtown Fort Worth, brought neighbors, coworkers and strangers together.
Nobody ever expected a tornado to swirl through the city, just as nobody ever expected that teen-agers would be shooting each other in their middle and high schools.
However, these disasters are real and cannot be ignored.

(full story)

Sellouts are sickening, but rich
Companies cross line when advertising moves to piercings, tattoos

By Jordan Blum

About a week and a half ago Pepsi commercials started popping up every 30 minutes previewing a commercial starring Britney Spears that would premiere during the Academy Awards. It’s sad enough that Pepsi feels the need to waste millions of dollars to simply hype a commercial with other commercials, but what really stood out to me was the physical product placement on the pop star.
Not only was the commercial exceedingly tacky, and the fact that what little respect I had for Spears was lost just for doing the commercial, she also sported a “fashionable” Pepsi belly ring throughout the two minute spot.

(full story)

Land of the free prevents freedom
U.S.-supported terrorism stops improvement of lifestyles of poor in Americas

A vile new enemy has reared its head in the American “consciousness.” Unlike the “evil empire” of the former Soviet Union or the evil freedoms that drug use inspires, we must all unite to face this terrible scourge. This evil is terrorism.
Using terror in order to persuade people to change their actions, beliefs or ideas is not a new concept. It has been used for generations by all forms of authority — parents spank, police imprison and armies quell rebellions. Some people might call terrorism positive peer pressure, depending on which side of the issue you stand. But regardless of the side, using fear or inspiring terror in others is in fact terrorism.

(full story)

Letter to the Editor
Community service should be seen as opportunity, not sacrifice

It shocked me to read such a negative headline regarding the merits of service as featured in the March 15 issue of the Skiff. The headline read, “Making Sacrifices: Some students choose helping others over fun during Spring Break.” Service should not be synonymous with sacrificing fun, it should be seen for what it is: an opportunity.

(full story)

Frogs’ schedule aids record

The baseball team is off to a start that many thought highly unlikely, including myself. In all honesty, I never thought 20 wins would be possible after nearly 30 games.
The statistics are hard to ignore. The Frogs are hitting .330 as a team, while opponents are batting just .255 against the TCU pitching staff. You’ll win a lot of games when opponents hit just .255, especially at the collegiate level, but probably at any level.

(full story)

Junior pitcher Justin Crowder has been one of the leaders of the TCU pitching staff this season. At 20-9 overall and 11-2 in conference, TCU is second behind Rice. The Frogs are scheduled to play Texas-Arlington, weather permitting, at 2:35 p.m. today at the TCU Diamond.

Photo by David Dunai - Senior Photographer

Sophomore Antonio Gordon makes a backhand return Tuesday in his straight-set victory against California’s Scott Kintz. TCU won the match 5-1 and moved to 12-2 on the season. The Frogs are currently ranked No. 2 in the nation, and they play seven of their last eight matches at home.

(see stories below)

Men’s golf team finishes 14th at tournament

The fourth-ranked men’s golf team struggled at the Cleveland Golf/Morris Williams Intercollegiate Sunday and Monday in Austin as it claimed 14th. The Frogs shot a two-round total of 604, 31 strokes behind the tournament’s leader, second-ranked Georgia Tech, which shot a 573 (three-under par). Tuesday’s final round was canceled because of inclement weather. Sophomore Adam Rubinson, who shot a 36-hole score of 147, led the Frogs, finishing tied for 25th overall. Senior Scott Volpitto and junior Bret Guetz both tied for 57th with a two-round score of 152. Sophomore Jamie Kellam tied for 70th and junior Steve Shuert tied for 73rd. In the first two tournaments of the spring season, the team had two top-five finishes. In the Taylor Made/Waikoloa Intercollegiate Feb. 15 to 17, the Frogs captured third with the help of Rubinson’s fifth-place finish. The Frogs followed that up with a second-place finish in the second tournament of the spring, the Cleveland Golf Classic, March 5 to 6.

Frogs rally to claim 5-1 win
Slow start against California doesn’t deter men’s tennis

By Rusty Simmons
editor in chief
Down 5-3 in the second set Tuesday, senior Esteban Carril felt his opponent, California’s John Paul Fruttero, cheated by calling a serve long.
Carril questioned the call, and then, instigated by the alleged cheating, rallied to defeat Fruttero and lead the Frogs to a 5-1 victory against the Golden Bears.

(full story)

Men’s tennis team defeats California

By Ram Luthra
Staff Reporter

After the men’s tennis team dropped all three doubles matches Tuesday, head coach Joey Rive urged his players to have fun and to not worry about their slow start.
The No. 2-ranked Frogs answered Rive’s request by capturing five straight singles victories en route to a 5-1 win against No. 30-ranked California at the indoor courts at the Bayard H. Friedman Tennis Center.

(full story)

When the twister tore through downtown Fort Worth, it left the city looking like a war zone. It sent TCU students scrambling to their telephones to relay accounts of the storm to family and friends. It sent hundreds of insurance agents scrambling to file claims on hundreds of trashed offices. And it sent Cowtown’s citizens scrambling to find ways to pull together and clean up the mess.

One year later, the clean up is almost over. Fort Worth’s streets have been swept of glass and debris. It’s business as usual in most downtown offices. With the exception of a few buildings, the city is picture perfect. As far as storms go, the clouds have cleared, and the tornado is forgotten.

(full photo essay)

Mallick Tower
One Summit Avenue

By Chris Gibson
Skiff Staff

The burnt orange of a slow Texas sunset can be seen reflecting off its thousands of ocean-blue panes of glass. The lone tower stands firm; keeping an eye on the city’s newly developed West Side on one end and the old-flowing waters of the Trinity River on the other.
Just one year after an F-2 tornado tore through downtown Fort Worth, bringing with it winds up to 157 mph and leaving behind millions of dollars worth of damage, the Mallick Tower at One Summit Avenue stands brighter and better than ever.

(full story withphoto)

Bank One Building
500 Throckmorton Road

By Ram Luthra
Staff Reporter

It has been 365 days, but the damages and memories are still vivid from the unforgettable tornado that wreaked havoc throughout Tarrant County during afternoon rush hour one spring day.
The day started with beautiful warm weather, but it soon turned into 90 minutes of terror. Heavy winds and as large as grapefruit-sized hail accompanied the tornado. The National Weather Service in Fort Worth estimated winds to be between 113 and 152 mph, moving directly toward the downtown skyline.
The Bank One Building, located at 500 Throckmorton Road, has come to symbolize the destruction the tornado brought to the downtown Fort Worth area.

(full story with photo)

Mallick occupants recall evening of
destructive twister

By Chris Gibson
skiff staff
The newspaper and television accounts of the F-2 tornado that ripped through downtown Fort Worth on March 28, 2000, created a lasting record of the area’s devastation. But for those who were in their high-rise offices when the storm stuck, no photograph can ever do that day’s destruction justice. The memories they have are vivid enough.
Hardly a young building, the Mallick Tower celebrated its 30th anniversary a few years ago. Former owner George Mallick could never have imagined that the building he built “like a fort” would save the lives of so many people.
It was a calm, cool March.”

(full story with photo)